November 2024 - The Eikon Charity

Pedalling across breathtaking landscapes, battling both steep climbs and unexpected weather, a group of dedicated cyclists from Vail Williams took on an extraordinary challenge: cycling through Brittany to the heart of France, raising funds for Eikon.

We are honoured that national property consultancy, Vail Williams has chosen The Eikon Charity as their regional charity of the year.

The team have taken on two mammoth cycling challenges this autumn, raising vital funds to support our work helping children in Surrey to feel and be safe, heard, and supported.

In September the team cycled between all nine regional offices, covering over 325 miles in just 2 days and in October Calum Maynard, David Barden and Matthew Samuel-Camps raised £1,665 cycling through Brittany – yet another impressive challenge completed!

Calum Maynard recorded a blog below of the teams Brittany cycling challenge where the riders pushed their physical limits while rallying support and awareness for The Eikon Charity.

‘Riding through the storm’ – by Callum Maynard

“My team and I met in Portsmouth on the night of Wednesday 25th September, we loaded our bikes and bags and took off for what would turn out to be a memorable three days.
We had signed up to complete The Challenge Adventure Charities Brittany where we would collectively ride more than 560 miles through the French countryside, as we listened to the pitter patter of the rain and the whoosh of the wind on the windows of the car, we quietly hoped it would pass by the morning when our ferry docked and we could ride out into warm sunshine and clear air.

A few weeks previously I had sat at the modest home of Eikon where I had listened with tears in my eyes to two young adults about how they had been struggling and how Eikon had helped them. In contrast to my happy youth hearing the tale of someone who had struggled so terribly it was difficult not to be moved.

We mounted up early on Thursday morning with the sunshine driving out the early morning chill. The sky was clear, but it was not to last. Matthew took the first 13-mile leg in fine weather and finer spirits for what would be a calm and peaceful day, the previous night’s storm had abated and excluding a puncture, a mech failure and driving up a one-way road we made it to our hotel with the minimum of drama and the maximum of appetite!

On Friday morning we climbed from our beds and prepared our bikes by torchlight as the sun would not rise for another two hours. We set off and the weather worsened with a cross wind and driving rain threatening to knock us from our bikes and dash us across the roads but as we struggled forwards, we couldn’t help but to look across the beaches and see the rugged beauty of the coastline of Brittany.

The final day arrived which took us across the rolling inland hills from Quimper back to St Malo and whilst fatigue was starting to show it could not stifle our spirits. We covered the 167 miles with our camaraderie unbroken. The last leg saw as many of our band as possible don their helmets and ride together to the finish.

There was one last event to conclude the challenge and that was the finishers dinner. We sat down to a well- deserved drink and a delicious meal and heard a few stories of kindness, bravado and occasional stupidity!, such as one rider pushing another up a steep hill to make it to the top; whereas in contrast one cyclist pressed the wrong button on his bike computer and following its directions rode 26 miles in the wrong direction as it routed him to the start of the course!

Vail Williams were immensely proud to be presented with the Challenge Cup. A trophy awarded to the team who best supported the ethos of the challenge.

We took the ferry back the following morning. We were surprisingly quiet as our adrenaline finally having departed leaving us with only fatigue and pride in what we had accomplished. But as the ferry gently carried us home across the Channel conversation turned to our next challenge…”

Get involved

You can make a real difference to the lives of children and young people in Surrey.

Whether you want to run a marathon or host a coffee morning, there are lots of different ways you can get involved.

Click on the links below, or contact our friendly team about your next great fundraising idea…

Take on a challenge Get your company involved More ways to support us

Julie Gillis – Trustee

During Trustees Week we asked Julie, one of Eikon’s trustees, to reflect on her 4-year journey with the charity and share some of her experiences of positive impact in the lives of children and young people.

“As a trustee, I have seen the positive impact Eikon has on the lives of children and young people,” Julie shares. “As more children and young people than ever struggle with their emotional wellbeing, helping them at an early stage is vital in preventing things getting worse and causing unnecessary harm. This is why I am so passionate about The Eikon Charity.”

Julie’s initial inspiration to get involved with Eikon was deeply personal: “A very close family member struggled with mental wellbeing throughout her teenage years,” she explains. “I felt the system had failed her, and I wanted to support a charity that could make a real difference to young people like her.”

Throughout her time as a trustee, Julie has experienced many rewarding moments, but one aspect that continually moves her is hearing the stories of the young people Eikon supports.

“I feel privileged to hear their stories. I am often moved to tears,” she says.

As both the Chair of the Engagement Committee on the board of trustees, and a special needs teaching assistant at the local school where Eikon has its headquarters, Julie witnesses firsthand the charity’s impact on children there. “Every day, I see not just students from the school benefiting from Eikon’s support but also children and young people from elsewhere visiting Eikon for help. Every one of them has a story that has had an impact on me.”

Following a long career in the public sector, where she delivered major government change programmes, Julie brings a wealth of experience at board level, in operations and in financial compliance. She is passionate about improving social mobility and children’s mental health and shares a strong sense of purpose and values with Eikon’s CEO and leadership team.

What motivates Julie to continue giving her time, commitment, and experience to Eikon is the increasing number of younger children looking for help and the realisation that many more are in need but cannot access support. “I am motivated by seeing increasing numbers of younger children seeking Eikon’s support and thinking of the others out there who also need support but cannot benefit because there are just not enough resources to go around,” she explains.

Hurrah for Eikon’s volunteers!

When asked what she would say to someone considering volunteering with Eikon, Julie emphasises the invaluable difference volunteers can make. “Trustees have a very privileged role, but those who make the real difference are the volunteers who engage directly with the young people Eikon supports. We have some wonderful volunteers who give their time to work in the Eikon garden and some amazing mentors in schools. Volunteers can make a huge difference whilst benefiting themselves by knowing the impact they are making. Hurrah for Eikon’s volunteers!”

During Trustees Week, we want to say thank you not only to Julie, but to all of our Trustees, and all of the volunteers that make a lasting impact on the mental health and emotional wellbeing of children and young people in Surrey.