Well firstly, I wouldn’t be doing this challenge without them! It was Outfit Moray who encouraged me to try an electric bike and it’s my Outfit Moray colleagues and friends who are getting me match ready! Their expertise, knowledge and support is the only thing that’s going to get me up Ben Rinnes.
But that’s not the whole story. Make yourself comfy…
Outfit Moray were set up in 2003 to fill a gap in the provision of outdoor learning and adventure locally and my appreciation of them started not long after.
I was diagnosed with ME in 2004 (one of my many early mis-diagnoses for Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) and my two older children were fortunate enough to be registered young carers with a local charity, Moray Young Carers.
Moray Young Carers provided fantastic support to the young people in their care, including outdoor adventures with Outfit Moray.
In later years, my kids took part in Outfit Moray’s school holiday activities and were always excited to come across them at local events, enjoying taster sessions in bushcraft and mountain biking.
In 2015 I was part of a fundraising team who created a 100km hike and bike challenge from Cairngorm to Lossiemouth to raise funds for a military charity and Outfit Moray generously provided logistic event support and first aid cover for the Cairngorm to Coast duathlon challenge.
So, I was already a big fan of Outfit Moray’s when they advertised a fundraising role in September 2017 and was delighted to join their team soon after and have loved working for them ever since, encouraging people to take up mad challenges to raise funds for us!
Outfit Moray are very much an equal opportunities employer and my associated physical and mental limitations never put them off. They have made many necessary adjustments and accommodations to make sure my work doesn’t have any health implications for me, and are always very supportive of any duvet days when I have ‘run out of spoons‘ or am struggling with sensory overload and have to leave the office half way through a day.
Of course, working for an outdoor learning and adventure charity is going to rub off on you and I have already enjoyed an assisted trip down the River Spey in a canoe and they actively encouraged me to try an electric bike at an event in March 2020, leading me up to this year’s Ben Rinnes challenge!
During my time with the youth charity, I have seen firsthand the difference Outfit Moray makes to the young people who take part in their adventurous activities. I have heard so many heart warming stories and spoken to parents who can’t believe the change in their child, simply by learning how to climb or kayak. Schools report back with the improvement of their pupils’ learning abilities and I have lost count of the number of children we have taught to ride a bike!
So, that’s it, that’s why I am raising funds for Outfit Moray, plus because they are the only charity of their type in Moray so local schools and youth charities depend on us for our life changing outdoor learning and adventure activities!
Footnote
This blog is part of my challenge to bike up Ben Rinnes this summer on my electric mountain bike, built by Coast n Cruise, to raise funds for Outfit Moray and Flying Scholarships for Disabled People.
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The Wobbly Cyclist 