Meeting our supporters: Liam Cook cycles to Rome

Katya Johnson

26 September 2013

Have you ever thought about fundraising for Friends of the Earth? Supporter Liam Cook and a group of nine others have just completed an epic cycle to Rome. They raised over £4,000 for Friends of the Earth. 

The Interview

I first met Liam Cook some weeks ago, before the sponsored cycle began. He was calm and excited about the ride. 

Liam is a young student, originally from Norwich. That's where he first got involved with the cycle collective known as the Big Push. 

The Big Push have done long-distance rides in the past. But Liam made it clear that this would be the toughest challenge to date.

The itinerary

Over coffee he told me some more about the trip. He spoke about their plans to cycle across the Alps and the freezing conditions they might face in September.  He said they expected to do 100 miles a day. He also spoke about the experience of fundraising via JustGiving and setting up the Big Push website. 

Supporters' stories

But it was also great to find out more about Liam himself. Though I assumed Liam was a dyed-in-the-wool Londoner, he told me that he spent some years volunteering on a farm in Tuscany. Now he was studying environmental sciences at Kingston University. 

It was a really fascinating interview, which made me feel inspired by the efforts of our supporters and fundraisers. The Big Push all started with a friendship group in Norwich. It shows how great ideas and grass-roots action can lead to really incredible results. 

Have you ever thought about fundraising for Friends of the Earth?

Read Liam Cook's interview