Jarrow care home residents to cycle their own Tour de France - this is how you can help them cover the distance

This summer, residents from Palmersdene Care Home, on Grange Road West in Jarrow, will be taking part in a national virtual cycling challenge called, ‘Get Set, Cycle.’

The challenge, launched by care home provider, Anchor Hanover, will see residents get on their bikes and virtually cycle the route between each of Anchor Hanover’s 126 locations in a bid to cover the 1,890 mile distance.

Members of the public are being asked to take part to help them reach a whopping 2,156 miles, the same distance as the Tour de France, which will begin later in June.

Palmersdene manager, Maureen McCulloch, said: “After a challenging year, we are thrilled to be taking part in Get Set, Cycle.

“Physical activity is very important for our residents and we are committed to ensuring everyone has the opportunity to get involved.

"Cycling is a great opportunity to exercise our bodies and minds, doing meaningful activities while also having fun.

“We’re excited to be joining the challenge and seeing how many miles we can all cycle together!”

Palmersdene residents and staff will be using special equipment such as floor pedals, so people of all abilities can take part.

Residents are also using Memoride – a virtual cycling platform for older people, which uses Google Maps to project images of towns or paths onto a screen.

Alongside the challenge, residents at Palmersdene will have the opportunity to visit a number of European cities, with virtual guided tours organised throughout the summer.

Maureen added: "Palmersdene has been a-buzz with preparations and the care staff have been setting up our Memoride bikes and pedals.

“I am looking forward to getting our residents and staff involved in this to clock as many miles up.

"I hope Palmersdene comes top in the competition!”

The challenge will finish in November with an award ceremony to celebrate those who cycled the most miles throughout the campaign.

The public can join in the challenge by sharing how many miles they’ve cycled on social media using the hashtag #GetSetCycle.

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