A TEIFI Valley care farm are holding a virtual 5,000 mile cycle to Nairobi to raise funds for their vital work, sending shipping containers of mobility aids across the world.

Clynfyw CIC Care Farm, in Abercych, Pembrokeshire, provides supported living and day care for adults with learning disabilities.

As part of Clynfyw’s Wheelie Good Idea project, one of the nine micro enterprises based on the care farm where vulnerable people repair damaged items as part of a structured activity, the team have sent shipping containers full of refurbished mobility aids across the world.

In July 2014, Clynfyw sent their first shipping container to Durban, South Africa. On the 25 July, they sent their 20th container to Nairobi, Kenya.

But as well as this, the staff and residents at the care farm are currently on a 5,000 mile virtual bike ride from Abercych to Nairobi.

Jim Bowen, Clynfyw’s manager, said: “We have done this challenge to raise money to send the next container. And we also wanted to get to know the countries we ‘cycle’ through, recording the distance each week on a map which helps make each place more real. At the moment we are in the Middle East!

“The distance from here to Nairobi is around 5,000miles and it is roughly £5000 to buy and ship a container. We’ve been through Western and Eastern Europe and will soon be getting into North Africa. Cycling through the Sahara will be fun!”

Jim said the cycle, on exercise bikes, is shared between the 10 residents, 20 people that come in for day care, 35 members of staff, and any visitors who “fancy it”.

“We work with Container Ministry in Durban who are distributing the equipment to small charities and community groups.

“In Kenya, a friend, Alex Busia, has the contacts to ensure every item gets to someone who needs it. We have also sent containers of donated items to Syria, through Anaya Aid, and to Kos Kindness, Greece, and we are the West Wales collection point for Care4Calais too, receiving tents and sleeping bags and passing them on to support the refugees there.”

To donate to the care farm’s cycling challenge, please go to https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/clynfywcyclingacontainertokenya2022.