This week we are focusing on one incredible donor who has dedicated the past three years of his life to raise more than £60,000 for our charity and to help improve the lives of people around the world.
Barry Bassett, from Iden Green in Kent, is hanging up his cycle shoes after an incredible fundraising campaign in aid of our cause.
The 51-year-old, who is the managing director for London and Bristol digital facilities company VMI, said he was first compelled to launch a “Superhero” cycle after reading about the terrible consequences of landmines on men, women and children all over the world.
Since then he has cycled more than 900 miles in total, taking part in two gruelling challenges a year and gaining sponsorship from countless generous businesses.
“I was reading a book called One Step Beyond by Chris Moon,” said Barry.
“He was a soldier originally who left the army to become a landmine clearer.
“Whilst on exercise something went wrong and he lost one arm and one leg.
“He didn’t give up hope. He continued running marathons and even did the Marathon des Sables where runners have to carry their own water in heat of up to 50 degrees.
“On the longest day the runners have to run the distance of two marathons.
“I was so inspired that he could do this that I started to read into landmines and their impact and soon realised how terrible a problem it is.
“That year, on New Year’s Eve I made a resolution that I would raise £10,000 for MAG.
“They clear landmines and make peoples’ lives better. So far they have helped 1.4m people to avoid being injured or killed by landmines and cleared 100,000 pieces of ordinance in the last year alone.”
Barry has cycled from London to Bristol and London to Amsterdam every year since 2017, raising money through corporate sponsorship of the participants.
In the first year of his quest Barry was joined in the London to Amsterdam leg by only one other rider. He raised £12,500. The following year, the group doubled, raising more than £22,500.
This year, for his final event, the dad-of-one took a team of eight on his travels. The group raised an astonishing £27,500.
Barry, who splits his time between the Acton and Bristol VMI offices, said he has had no choice but to call time on the event due to ongoing commitments.
“I wanted to leave it on a real high,” he added. “Part of my mission was to spread the word and tell people about the effect of landmines in other countries.
“I held a thank you event for everyone who has been involved. It was a nice evening to get together and round things off, a nice way to finish it.
If you want to help raise money for MAG by putting on your own event please contact fundraising@maginternational.org
