Big-hearted ENFIELD IGNATIANS rugby club have helped raise close to £16,000 for charity after 50 club members, friends and relatives battled through the heat to complete a near 500 kilometre sponsored London to Paris cycle ride.

Fiona Essilfie-Quaye, a key catalyst in the success of the project together with her husband Edmund, expressed delight at the outcome, and is hoping that the Tour de Dodo project will become an annual event on the Ignatians' calendar.

She said: "We wanted to help a local cause and give back to the community. Mark Shuttlewood {playing member}, for example, put forward his employer, Russet House School for Children with Autism, and I know that they were delighted that we chose them.

"Another club member chose Cancer Research, as they had helped really helped him and following the painful loss of his mother to cancer.

"I think club members were pleased to be cycling in the honour of relatives, and this was combined with a real understanding of how the money would be spent."

The three day cycling marathon began at 6am at the club's Donkey Lane headquarters and culminated amidst the almost obligatory spraying of champagne under the Eiffel Tower.

Fiona Essilfie-Quaye acknowledges the role of planners and the four support cars whose drivers included club president Martin Baker, plus the route planners such as Steve Crofts and Phil Young.

She added: "Training was a huge thing. The guys would train regularly on Sunday, and when the event got closer, they ramped this up to two to three training sessions a week!
A large group did a Sportive in May of 50 miles, a run to Cambridge of 75 miles, and a few even did a 'dry run' to Dover on 12 July in preparation! "

Those wishing to donate to either charity can follow the link on http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=TourDeDodo

For further information please contact Jonathan Landi (press officer) on 0752 385 2424 or 0208 807 2390.