Organisers reflect on another successful Harley Davidson charity ride, with support from 250 bikers

The organisers of a Harley Davidson charity ride have reflected on another successful year, which saw 251 bikers turn up in force and more than £3,700 was raised.

The procession of motorbikes roared through Northampton town centre for the nineteenth annual fundraiser last Saturday (April 22).

The 251 bikers arrived in Abington Street at around 11.10am and remained there until 1pm, in aid of Cynthia Spencer Hospice.

The April Fools charity ride was first set up in 2003 by Dave Barringer, from Northants V Twin motorbike shop in St James, and former Mayor Terry Wire.

Terry sadly passed away in 2014 and spent his final days in the hospice he helped raise so much money for in the decade before his passing.

Dave said: “We were absolutely over the moon with this year’s ride. There were an awful lot of people there.

“As all the bikes left and made lots of noise, everyone clapped and you wouldn’t get that anywhere else.

“That sums it up for me and it shows how much the local people enjoy it.”

Dave says there has been a lot of positive feedback online, which has kickstarted the bikers’ riding season on a high.

The bikers started the fundraiser by meeting at Sixfields Stadium at 9.30am and rode in a procession from there to the town centre – where they were met by the biggest crowd Dave had seen in the two decades of the event.

The turn out heavily depended on the weather and with the sun shining, hundreds of bikers attended to raise vital funds for the chosen charity.

Northants V Twin bike shop raised £2,468.81 through raffle tickets, their in-store donation pot, and some fundraisers hosted by customers.

£1,252,24 was donated on the day of the charity ride, which brought the final total to £3,721.05 and Dave was “massively happy”.

A member of the Cynthia Spencer team is currently in the process of totalling how much has been raised by the charity ride over the past 19 years.

With next year’s ride marking two decades of fundraising, the team hopes to make it the biggest and best yet.