The sun was out, the canal towpath stretched ahead, and Team ViaNiños was on the move. After months of planning, our riders set off from Battersea and pedalled 85 kilometres to St. Albans Cathedral, completing the 14th annual ViaNiños Fundraising Bike Ride.
The route: canals, lakes, and country lanes
We left Battersea under clear skies and crossed Chelsea and Hyde Park before joining the Grand Union Canal at Paddington. From there, the towpath carried us west through Little Venice, past Kensal Green and Sudbury Golf Course to Greenford, then north towards the serene lakes of the Colne Valley. After Rickmansworth, we wound through locks and past narrowboats all the way to Hemel Hempstead, and finally along peaceful country lanes to the finish at St. Albans Cathedral.
The weather could not have been kinder: sunshine all the way and a comfortable 20 degrees. For a bike ride along a canal towpath, conditions like that feel like a bonus. We were grateful.
Not everything went to plan, of course. Somewhere along the route, a rear tyre had other ideas. A kind narrowboat dweller spotted the team and offered to help. The puncture was fixed in minutes and the group was back on the road. It is the sort of small, unexpected kindness that makes a long day in the saddle feel lighter.
Why we ride: a social worker in Quito
ViaNiños was co-founded 23 years ago in Germany, and our annual bike ride has become one of the team’s favourite ways to raise money. This year, the specific goal was straightforward: to fund the salary of a social worker at UBECI, our partner organisation in Quito.
UBECI’s outreach workers operate across three major markets in Southern Quito. These markets are places where children as young as six work alongside their families, selling goods, carrying loads, or running errands for small change. UBECI’s team goes to them directly, setting up safe spaces in the markets where children can play, learn, and receive social and psychological support, often without leaving their neighbourhood.
Every Euro, Franc, and Pound raised in Europe directly funds the salaries of the teachers, psychologists, and social workers who protect and empower these children.
A single social worker’s salary, sustained for a year, means hundreds of children in those markets continue to have someone in their corner. That is what the ride was for.
St. Albans Cathedral: the finish line
After 85 kilometres, the Cathedral came into view. It is one of those moments that makes a long day worthwhile. The endpoint that was abstract at the start suddenly becomes very real. The team crossed the finish together.
Thank you
To everyone who donated: thank you. It is a simple thing to say but it matters. The donations are not abstract. They translate directly into the continued employment of people working in difficult conditions to give children in Quito’s markets a chance at education and a safer childhood.
If you donated anonymously and would like us to thank you personally, please drop us a line at [email protected]
If you have not yet donated, the fundraiser is still open. Every contribution goes directly to UBECI. You can donate at globalgiving.org/fundraisers/90123.
If you are inspired to take on a challenge of your own, whether a bike ride, a sponsored walk, or something entirely different, visit our fundraising page to find out how to get started. Or if you would like to join the team more directly, volunteering with ViaNiños is open to people with a wide range of skills.
See you on the road next year.
Team ViaNiños