Lisburn tandem cycle group takes part in challenge

David Mann (third from left), member of Lisburn Tandem Group and current Chair of the Royal National Institute of Blind People in Northern (RNIB NI) joined other well-wishers including David Galloway, Director RNIB NI and Sammy Douglas MLA, at City Hall Belfast on Monday to support Ken Reid (second from right) on the Northern Ireland leg of his Cycle 750 UK wide challenge in aid of RNIB Talking Books. Picture: Michael Cooper

Local members of the Lisburn Tandem Cycling group joined other well-wishers at City Hall Belfast to support Ken Reid on the Northern Ireland leg of his Cycle 750 UK wide challenge in aid of RNIB Talking Books.

Ken Reid (56), an East Lothian man, is marking the 30th anniversary of the news that he was going blind by embarking on a marathon 750 mile cycle journey to all four UK capital cities to raise funds for sight loss charity RNIB’s ‘talking books’ audio-library.

David Mann and members of the Lisburn Tandem Cycling group welcomed Ken to Northern Ireland at City Hall Belfast on Monday August 1.

Tandem cyclists from Lisburn then joined Ken and his ‘Cycle 750’ supporters in their cycle to Newcastle, where they rested up before heading on to Carrickmacross Co. Monaghan on Tuesday 2 August.

Sammy Douglas MLA said: “I’m delighted and honoured to welcome Ken Reid. He is an inspiration for blind and partially sighted people from across the United Kingdom.”

“The sight loss journey isn’t an easy one,” Ken said, “and I don’t intend that my cycle journey should be easy either.”