First ever Canaccord Sportive for Rebecca House a success!

On Sunday 28^th April 2024, the first ever Canaccord Sportive cycling event was held for Rebecca House Children’s Hospice, raising over £7,000 for the charity.

165 entrants took on one of the three course options, which ranged from a relatively flat 43Km route or a 74Km hilly course, through to a ferociously tough 100Km challenge. The 100Km featured 2000m of climbing, including the infamous Postman’s Hill up out of Glen Maye.

In addition to the very kind sponsorship from Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management, the event also benefitted from the kind patronage of the Nunnery Estate on Old Castletown Road, which meant that 100% of every entry fee went straight to Rebecca House. The event was blessed with what was probably the best day of weather that the Isle of Man has seen so far in 2024, and after their efforts, participants were able to soak up the sun, relax and refresh in the beautiful estate grounds, with food and drink from the newly-launched Hospice Care for a Drink Van and some welcome comfort food from the Train Smokers BBQ. For the kids and partners attending, there were also a great range of activities provided by Switched On Events.

Tom Richards, Head of Wealth Management at Canaccord on the Isle of Man commented, “What a wonderful day! It was fantastic to see so many riders participating, over 160 entrants, and the sense of camaraderie was palpable. On a beautiful sunny day, the riders set off in groups from The Nunnery from around 9am and depending on their choice of route starting returning from 11am. By this time, the family fun fair was in full swing and with the smell of coffee, burgers and hot dogs in the air it was quite the occasion! Our very best wishes to all who participated and in support of such a very worthwhile cause; we are delighted that the Sportive raised £7,000 for Rebecca House Children’s Hospice. Our heartfelt thanks too to Philip Vermeulen and the team for their gracious access to such a wonderful venue. We will see you all next year!”

John Knight, Chief Executive of Hospice Isle of Man, “I had the pleasure of cycling in Sunday’s Canaccord Sportive, and playing my own part in raising funds for Rebecca House. The event was excellent from start to finish – a great venue, brilliant and beautiful routes through the Manx countryside and friendly support throughout. Knowing that all the funds will go to our work with children who have life limiting conditions across the Isle of Man makes all that effort more than worthwhile and adds a real sense of meaning to the tired legs at the end of the event.

Our thanks go to Richard Fletcher, all the team at The Nunnery and of course Canaccord, without whom it would not have been possible. We are grateful for their support.”

Rebecca House Children’s Hospice would like to thank everyone who took part in the event, and for raising an incredible amount of money. The event will hopefully be back for 2025 due to the success of its first year.