Fernacre Court residents and staff are pedalling 3,600 virtual miles to Uxbridge, Ontario, for the MS Society, with £215 of a £500 target raised so far.

Residents and staff at Fernacre Court, a care home in Uxbridge, are cycling the 3,600 miles to the other Uxbridge, in Ontario, Canada, on an exercise bike in the home. They are raising money for the MS Society.

The challenge started on 1 October. Morar Living, which runs the home, says the team will cover the straight-line distance between the two towns over roughly two to four months, working to a collective target of 40 miles a day.

The idea came from the home’s deputy manager, Millie, whose partner, James, was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

How it started

The home’s GoFundMe page tells it in the team’s own words:

“Here at Fernacre Court, the idea for our fundraising journey began with a simple suggestion from one of our colleagues. Our deputy manager, Millie selflessness inspired us all. But with her husband James, living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), we decided to dedicate our fundraising to the MS Society, in his honour.”

Morar Living’s release says everyone at the home got behind the idea, and that each mile is meant as a show of support for Millie, James and other families affected by MS.

A large group of Fernacre Court staff standing together on a path in the home's garden on a sunny day
The Fernacre Court team in the home's garden. Photo: supplied by Morar Living

Where the miles take them

The route is virtual, but it has stops. According to the release, the riders pass through Oxford, Plymouth and Cornwall, cross the Atlantic to Nova Scotia, then carry on through New Brunswick, Quebec and Eastern Ontario. The finish is Reach View Village, a care community in Uxbridge, Canada.

The home’s route poster, the one on the easel beside the bike, sums up the plan: 3,600 miles in total, two to four months, 40 miles a day on average.

Illustrated poster headed Uxbridge to Uxbridge, same name, a whole new world, with a map from the UK across the Atlantic Ocean to Canada and the figures total distance 3,600 miles, time scale 2 to 4 months, daily average 40 miles
The challenge's route poster, from the United Kingdom across the Atlantic to Canada. Image: via the Fernacre Court GoFundMe appeal

The signs on the bike are updated as the miles come off. In the photographs the home sent us, the count reads 3,600 at the start, then 3,518, then 3,214 miles to go.

A woman with both arms raised beside the exercise bike, surrounded by orange balloons, with a sign reading Miles to go: 3,518
Celebrating at the bike with 3,518 miles to go. Photo: supplied by Morar Living
A man in a Morar chef's jacket riding the exercise bike, with a sign reading Miles to go: 3,214
A member of the kitchen team on the bike, with 3,214 miles to go. Photo: supplied by Morar Living

Friends in the other Uxbridge

Alongside the fundraising, Fernacre Court is building a friendship with Reach View Village. The release says residents of both homes plan to connect virtually, share activities, swap stories and make lasting friends across the Atlantic. The GoFundMe page adds a little more detail:

“We are now developing plans for residents at Fernacre Court and Reach View Village to meet through Zoom, share activities, exchange ideas, compare menus and most importantly share their stories.

“Our virtual cycle journey will bring our two Uxbridges even closer together. As we cycle the distance between Uxbridge, England and Uxbridge, Ontario, we will be raising money and awareness for the MS Society while celebrating the friendship that has grown between our two communities.”

What the home manager says

Morar Living describes Fernacre Court as a relatively new home, and says the challenge has given colleagues a way to encourage one another and mark milestones together. Brenda, the home manager, said:

“I have been incredibly proud to watch our team take on this challenge with such eagerness and perseverance. Whether it’s a few minutes on the bike during a calm moment or a longer session after a busy day, every mile cycled represents compassion, commitment, and teamwork.

“For me, this challenge is about far more than distance travelled. It is relating to people coming together, helping one another through life’s challenges, building bridges across communities, and demonstrating the tremendous impact that can be accomplished when we work as one team.”

A smiling man in a blue polo shirt on the exercise bike in a lounge filled with orange balloons, with the route poster on an easel by the window
On the bike in the lounge at Fernacre Court, with the route poster by the window. Photo: supplied by Morar Living

What it means for you

The home is asking families, friends and the wider community to back the challenge. Donations go through the Uxbridge, UK to Uxbridge, Canada Virtual Cycle page on GoFundMe, which names the Multiple Sclerosis Society as the beneficiary. When we checked on 14 October it had raised £215 of its £500 target from five donations.

The team also hopes the ride will raise awareness of what life is like for people living with MS. Information and support are available from the MS Society.

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