The kindness of strangers

The kindness of strangers! How the Queen's Lancashire Regiment (veterans) came to the rescue of extraordinary MS Trust fundraiser, Lis van Lynden, with nowhere to sleep.

Intrepid cyclist Lis van Lynden, who lives with MS and is cycling solo around Great Britain to raise money for the MS Trust, found herself alone and panicking recently, after being spurned from her scheduled campsite by rude and unkind campers.

Lis had reached Blackpool on her heroic solo expedition, when she was left without a place to stay and a punctured tyre. Feeling fearful of where she would sleep as night fell, the Queens Lancashire Regiment came to the rescue.

The regiment were camping nearby and offered her not only a safe place to pitch her tent, but also food, drink and the chance to join their party! The kindness didn’t end there, the following morning breakfast was served, and the Regiment set about repairing Lis’ bike puncture.

Lis was not only overwhelmed by their hospitality but has also found friends for life! Keith Marsden from the regiment said:

Bill Gee from the regiment also talked of how great it was to meet Lis:

Lis has already completed over 3,555 miles of her epic journey around the coast and is determined to keep going until she completes her mission.

The journey so far has been gruelling, Lis has negotiated a variety of multiple sclerosis symptoms whilst on route, including weakness on her right side, pins and needles and chronic headaches. Plus, there have been the added difficulties of falls, extreme heat and the pressures of finding places to stay on each stop along the route.

“On the whole, support has been amazing along the way! People constantly stop me whilst I’m cycling or when I stop for a moment. They want to know everything about me. A lot have donated online or have provided cash donations which is wonderful, as I need to raise as much money as possible to make this venture worthwhile!” Lis van Lynden

Are you in a position to offer Lis a safe place to stay during the remainder of her journey, through Wales and around the south coast? Contact fundraising@mstrust.org.uk or donate to Lis’s campaign here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/LisvanLynden