Brownlee brothers launch charity challenge with local cafes

• News Home
• More from Latest local news

Friday, 28 August 2020 23:14

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Messenger
• Share on Messenger
• Share on X
• Share on Whatsapp

A number of cafes across the Ilkley and Skipton areas are taking part in a charity challenge created by Wharfedale-born Olympic triathletes Alistair and Jonny Brownlee.

‘The Cafes Are Open’ will start from Friday 4th September, and is encouraging walkers, runners and cyclists to visit a trail of cafes and tea rooms over the next three months - and to donate to the brothers' Brownlee Foundation charity.

The first 500 people to complete the challenge will receive a special bundle of goodies from Yorkshire Tea and a chance to win a cycle ride with the Brownlees.

15 cafes from Otley to Kettlewell are included in the trail - including The Commute Cafe and Bettys in Ilkley; Hamiltons in Addingham; Abbey Tea Rooms, Tea on the Green and The Tea Cottage at Bolton Abbey; and The Clubhouse in Skipton.

To take part in the challenge, participants need to make a £30 donation to the Brownlee foundation before visiting 5 out of the 15 Yorkshire cafes on the route between 4th September and 30th November 2020, stopping for a picture of the red teapot plaque and a brew at each one! Once finished, they can follow the instructions at thecafesareopen.com to submit their photos and complete the challenge.

Jonny had the idea for the trail during lockdown - as triathlon training regimes swapped from roads, hills, open water and tea rooms to treadmills, static bikes, a resistance pool and a kettle. He said: “One of the biggest things we’ve missed in lockdown is our tea breaks at local cafes and we know it’s a challenging time for them. These strange times have also affected our ability to fundraise for the Brownlee Foundation, set up in 2014 to support children to stay active and enjoy sport – which is more important now than ever.

“This is where the idea for the Cafes Are Open Challenge was born – an opportunity for Yorkshire folk to get out and about to some of the county’s best cafes and support the Foundation, with the bonus of getting their hands on some really exciting merchandise from our friends at Yorkshire Tea. Get involved if you can!”

All funds raised will go to the Brownlee Foundation and will be used to help children get active through the Foundation’s events. Since its launch in 2014, more than 32,000 young people have taken part in events to try out triathlon events.

For full details of all the cafes taking part and how you can support the cause, visit thecafesareopen.com

Tune into Rombalds Radio Breakfast on Tuesday morning from 6am to hear Alistair and Jonny talking to Stuart Clarkson! Click here to listen.

More from Latest local news

• MP calls for local NHS champions

  Ilkley and Keighley MP Robbie Moore is calling for nominations for the official NHS Parliamentary Awards 2024

• Skipton charity shop manager reveals why customers keep coming back

  The Skipton Scope charity shop appeals for your spring donations as research shows we’re still great donators, with the public choosing to donate to charity shops than sell online. 

• Police warn Skipton residents to lock their doors following spate of burglaries

  North Yorkshire Police has urged residents in Skipton to lock their doors following a spate of opportunistic burglaries.

• Ilkley ‘Tag-of-War’ Tournament raises £3500 for children’s Charity

  A ‘tag’ rugby tournament held at Ilkley Rugby Club has raised £3500 for a local charity, The Principle Trust, which supports disadvantaged children.

• Ilkley Manor House needs your help to promote its Roman past

  Do your families have any budding actors or Roman soldiers?  Would they enjoy dressing up as characters from Roman times!

• Skipton 'Library of Things' set to open in former charity shop

  Newly-formed charity Share Skipton has announced it will be running its 'Library of Things' from the former SCAD charity shop on Newmarket Street in the town.

• Heavy vehicle ban planned for Thwaites Brow Road

  Heavy vehicles could be banned from a Keighley cobbled road when a new traffic order is introduced.

• Gardening galore at Ilkley Manor House’s Spring Fair

  The Ilkley Manor House’s inaugural Spring Fair is coming in May and will ideal for anyone of any age on the hunt for plants to spruce up their home or who loves nature and learning about wildlife.

• New Ilkley fitness venture pledges support to Yorkshire families

  Ilkley’s brand-new health and fitness venture, XO Fitness, is pledging its support to some of the region’s neediest families by becoming a patron of The Principle Trust Children’s Charity.

• Government pothole cash allocated to local roads

  The first roads locally to benefit from millions of pounds of funding to repair potholes has been revealed.

• Debate over who should get credit for GP surgery funding

  A GP surgery in Burley-in-Wharfedale is being awarded £400k of developer cash to expand – but a row has broken out over who should gain credit for the windfall.

• Airedale Healthcare Support Worker receives national award for her compassion and commitment to care

  Cherie Melvin, a Healthcare Support Worker in Airedale NHS Foundation Trust’s Cardiac Rehabilitation team, has been awarded the Chief Nursing Officer for England’s Healthcare Support Worker Award.

• Amanda Whittington's Ladies Unleashed opens at Ilkley Playhouse

  Prepare yourself for an evening of laughter and tears with the opening of Ladies Unleashed at Ilkley Playhouse today, Thursday 11th April.

• Ilkley Pool and Lido group says 'use it or lose it'

  The future of Ilkley Pool and Lido is under review as part of the huge cost savings Bradford Council has to make in 2023-4 and onwards. The Ilkley Pool and Lido Community Group has been established to secure its future.

• Plan to build housing on Conservation Area site in Worth Valley is refused

  Housing on a green space in Oakworth would “harm” a Conservation Area – planners have decided.

• Candidates revealed for upcoming Bradford Council elections

  We've got the full list of candidates who are standing to be elected to Bradford Council across Ilkley, Wharfedale, Craven, Keighley and the Worth Valley.

• Council says wet weather caused A59 to crack - not tree felling

  Highways bosses have issued assurances the extended closure of the A59 at Kex Gill for a further three months was caused by one of the wettest winters in a century, rather than the felling of hundreds of trees beside the route.

• Ilkley fountain: Model unveiled as auction enters 2nd week

  Ilkley's Fountain Exhibition is now into its second week at the Tinker Gallery on Church Street.

• Ilkley BID is seeking a new BID Manager

  Following the successful ballot for a second term of the Ilkley Business Improvement District (BID), Ilkley BID is seeking a new BID Manager to deal with the running of the BID company and effectively deliver on the company’s aims as outlined in the new five-year Business Plan.

• Revised plans submitted to reopen vacant Ilkley care home

  Hollycroft Care Home in Ilkley could be brought back into use if a new planning application is approved.