Two young sisters rode their bikes for 40 miles in one day to raise £1,026 for Forest Holme Hospice Charity in Poole.

Macy and Pippa Hannington, aged nine and seven, set themselves the fundraising challenge in memory of their auntie Becky Frizzell, who died in January 2023. Becky was cared for at Forest Holme Hospice, as was her husband before her, who also died from cancer. The hospice provides specialist end-of-life care to patients across Poole, Wimborne and the Purbecks.

Before the sisters had even put a foot on a pedal, they managed to smash their target of £500 by more than £100 by holding a bake and sunflower sale outside their house.

The girls’ father, Mark Hannington, said: “Although the girls had trained for this challenge, none of their previous rides had come close to 40 miles. They knew they had a serious undertaking ahead of them.” 

The sisters set off on the morning of their ride ‘raring to go!’ chaperoned by their mum, Yasmin and stepdad Tony. By the time the girls reached Ringwood they were getting sore, but fuelled by snacks and sisterly encouragement, the girls powered on.

Mark said: “Pippa was full of energy and encouragement for her big sister, and really lifted the mood of her teammate. Macy dug deep to find the courage to continue and by the time the team were reunited in Wimborne, everyone was in good spirits.”

The sister team made it home via the scenic route of Poole Harbour, worn out but thrilled to learn they had raised over £1000.

Mark said: “The girls have done a tremendous task of keeping their Brownie’s promise to ‘serve the King and my community’ and ‘to help other people’.”

Claire Cooper, fundraiser at Forest Holme Hospice Charity, said: “What an incredible achievement! The sisters may be small, but they are mighty indeed, and it shows what can be done with grit and determination. We can’t thank them enough for their efforts to help our hospice team.”

The charity is tasked with raising £1 million each year to help the hospice team deliver the highest level of care for its patients.