250-mile charity cycle ride in memory of Crossgar’s Chris

250-mile charity cycle ride in memory of Crossgar’s Chris

19 July 2023

A 250-mile charity cycle has been organised by the friends and family of Christopher Scurfield, who passed away suddenly in December last year.

Chris, who was 22 and from the Crossgar area, died tragically in a road traffic accident in New Zealand just months after graduating from Harper Adams University in Shropshire.

The charity cycle, which will run from Thursday, August 24, to the following Sunday, was organised by Chris’ father, Andrew, and his university friend, Edward Painter, who is 23.

“We all played in the rugby team together at university,” Edward explained. “A lot of people on this cycle knew Chris; it’s quite a small university but the group were all best friends.

“It’s a weird thing because we’ve all graduated and it was only a couple of months when he passed away. Going from seeing your best friend everyday, to not seeing them.

“As much as it’s about raising money, it’s also about remembering Chris and getting back together as a friendship group to remember him, it means a lot to us involved.”

The route start from Harper Adams University and goes to Holyhead in Anglesey where the team will take the ferry to Dublin and then cycle to the finish in Ballynahinch.

Around 20 people from all aspects of Chris’ life will be taking part with 15 cycling each day. Edward hopes to involve Chris’s friends from Down High School and Spa Young Farmers’ Club to join on the last day of the cycle to Ballynahinch.

Regarding the preparation, he said: “It’s about getting the shirts, getting as many as possible aware of what’s happening. The profiles for each of the riders will allow people to see the ways Chris connected with people in university life and his friends at home.”

A JustGiving page has been set up, and donations will go to the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust (KBRT), which helps financially with repatriating bodies of loved ones who died abroad in sudden and tragic circumstances.

“The KBRT did the work of getting Chris back for the funeral, and were a big help to the Scurfield family. We just wanted to do something to raise money for them to show appreciation and help others in the future,” Edward explained.

“It’s great that the money’s going to go directly to the KBRT to help so many more families in that time. Losing a loved one at any time is difficult, but then to have all the administration to get them back from abroad adds extra stress.

“The fact they can help people in Ireland alleviate pain means a lot to us, and we’re just really thankful to all who donated, we really appreciated it.”

The cyclists have raised £1,412 so far, and this is likely to have increase in the coming weeks. They hope to have a barbecue and live music after the event to raise even more money.

“It’s a celebration of finishing, and a memorial of remembering Chris, and everyone is welcome to come and raise more money for the charity,” Edward added.

Updates regarding the cyclists, their training, sponsors, and the event will be on their Instagram account, @cycle4chris. The link to theJustGiving page is: https://www.justgiving.com/page/c4ch2h-16859813657284?