In Partnership with the World Land Trust
Cycling solo, unsupported, camping, UK winter, 2 weeks. How hard can it be?
James Wragg is heading back to Wales in October to continue his mission to cycle as far as he can around the UK coastline.
Let's fight back against climate change
It's a fight against Climate Change!
James is doing this to raise vital funds and awareness for the incredible environmental charity, The World Land Trust.
Every penny donated will support the expansion and protection of the El-Silencio reserve in Columbia.
Protection of this land not only supports the protection of endangered habitats and biodiversity but also helps to maintain the planet's carbon processing systems, our natural defence against climate change.
“We must purchase and restore these pieces of land now while we have the chance. If we do not, they will most likely be bought for agriculture and deforested for further cattle farming. We cannot let that happen.”
– Fernando Arbeláez, Executive Director, FBC –
It won't be easy!
Back in January 2022 James ended his epic 6 week journey in Aberystwyth. Now, over 3 years later, James is returning to pick up where he left off! Carrying all his own kit, James will be battling bleak roads which will often be steep and unforgiving with brutal coastal rain and winds with bitterly cold temperatures chilling James to the core.
Follow James through his social media channels and his blog to keep up to date with his progress. Show your support by donating through his Just Giving page and by sharing his posts to raise awareness and boost James' motivation along the way.
James Wragg's cycle for change - Making a real difference
What do your donations support?
◉ Enable FBC to expand their El Silencio reserve by 1,495 hectares (3,694 acres).
◉ Fund the employment of two rangers to protect and patrol the land for the next three years.
◉ Safeguard the Barbacoas lake and the livelihoods of local fishing communities from the imminent threat of an encroaching man-made canal.
◉ Protect Critically Endangered species, many of which exist nowhere else in the world.
◉ Bring degraded areas of land under protection and begin the process of restoration.
Supported By
The Journey(s) so far
Part One - 2021/2022
Southwold - Edinburgh - Glasgow - Aberystwyth
With 2 months booked off work, no set finish date and no planned accommodation James embarked on a journey like no other.
On a blustery, rainy Saturday at Southwold Pier in Suffolk, straight into to jaws of "Storm Arwen", James began his epic journey and things didn't get much easier! After only 2 weeks on the road, "Storm Barra" hit James head on.
Over the 6 weeks James' journey would take him through rain, hail, gale force headwinds, steep hills, gravel tracks, mud, sleet, cities, villages, farms, snow, ice, closed seaside resorts, caravan parks, hotels, industrial estates, mountains, valleys, sunsets, darkness, injuries, home sickness, mechanical failures, hilarity, depression, joy, misery, sweat, tears, doubt, pride, near hypothermia and even a second international pandemic! Regardless of the conditions James ploughed on, covering 2030km over 40 days!
The support from the public was incredible with countless offers of accommodation, support and advice as well as hundreds of donations which reached an incredible final total of £8400 !
The donation helped World Land Trust to purchase, protect and preserve over 67045msq over rainforest in Laguna Grande, Guatemala.
More info via the link below.
Part 2 - 2023
Edinburgh - Inverness - Ullapool - Applecross - Skye - Fort William.
Determined not to let the challenges of his first journey beat him, James decided to head back to Scotland where he was forced to change his route during part one. James travelled 760km around Scotland from Edinburgh to Fort William, despite Storm Babet getting in the way! James' route was far from straightforward, before even reaching the start line in Edinburgh James' train was delayed due to flooding, road closures and collapsed tracks.
James was forced to dramatically change his route, heading North through the Cairngorms and eventually crossing from East to West in search of roads not washed away by storms! After escaping storms on Skye and sheltering for a day in Mallaig James cycled the notorious Bealach Na Ba, one of the UK's most challenging hill-climbs, with full panniers in 50mph winds (not his smartest idea!).
During his journey James cycled up over 9800 metres of incline (higher than Everest!), including
Part two raised over £1600 for the Columbian Forests of Mist campaign, bringing the Cycle For Change total to over £10k for World Land Trust! The total stretches to £11'600 taking fund matching into account.
Click the link below to read more.
What is Cycle for Change?
Who is James Wragg?
Why cycle the UK, and why in Winter?
Why cycle the UK, and why in Winter?
An Outdoor Education instructor, father and husband with a passion for environmental change and a lifetime of cycling experience.
From paper rounds, to trail riding to cycle commuting and simply messing about with mates. Riding bikes has always been a constant in James's life.
After 20 years of working in the outdoors James felt there was s
An Outdoor Education instructor, father and husband with a passion for environmental change and a lifetime of cycling experience.
From paper rounds, to trail riding to cycle commuting and simply messing about with mates. Riding bikes has always been a constant in James's life.
After 20 years of working in the outdoors James felt there was something missing, something he could do that made a positive impact.
"My life and career has always revolved around the natural world. It has given me so much over the years and now I want to give something back" -James
Why cycle the UK, and why in Winter?
Why cycle the UK, and why in Winter?
Why cycle the UK, and why in Winter?
"I knew I could ride a bike, I knew I loved the British coastline and knew I wanted to do something big. I figured I could simply pick a point on the coast, keep the Ocean on my right and just keep peddling! It had all the hallmarks of a
home-grown, classic,
(if a little eccentric), British adventure
Also, it had virtually no carbon impac
"I knew I could ride a bike, I knew I loved the British coastline and knew I wanted to do something big. I figured I could simply pick a point on the coast, keep the Ocean on my right and just keep peddling! It had all the hallmarks of a
home-grown, classic,
(if a little eccentric), British adventure
Also, it had virtually no carbon impact , it's just me and my bike, which for an eco-challenge was absolutely perfect.
I could have done it in the summertime but that felt too much like a cycling holiday, I couldn't ask people
to sponsor that!
It needed to be a challenge!
The great British winter, December and January, whilst being awful timing for a bike ride, made things a bit more challenging and more exciting!
Besides, it's only British Winter,
how hard can it be?"
-James
Why support the World Land Trust
Why cycle the UK, and why in Winter?
Why support the World Land Trust
Climate change is real, it's happening already, but it isn't too late to make a positive change.
The World Land Trust are an amazing charity with a very simple mission, to buy, protect and preserve land which is under threat. Primarily rainforest. This is one of the most effective ways that we can fight back against climate change.
All fun
Climate change is real, it's happening already, but it isn't too late to make a positive change.
The World Land Trust are an amazing charity with a very simple mission, to buy, protect and preserve land which is under threat. Primarily rainforest. This is one of the most effective ways that we can fight back against climate change.
All funds raised by Cycle for Change will be donated directly to the World Land Trust. During Part 1, James raised over £8400 to help preserve the Laguna Grande nature reserve in Guatemala, helping to protect and preserve a 4000 hectare area of primary rainforest.
For part 2, all funds were used to support the protection and preservation of the 1035 hectare Guanacas reserve in Columbia as part of World Land Trust's "Forests of Mist" campaign.
Part 3's fundraising campaign will support the expansion of forest and wetlands in Columbia's El-Silencio Reserve, one of the worlds most biodiverse habitats.
To reflect his determination to be as ethical as possible, all James's nutrition will be plant based, with as little single-use plastic as possible and all brand partners are carefully chosen as the echo James's environmental ethos.
A World Land trust project
Who are the World Land Trust?
Since its foundation in 1989, World Land Trust has funded partner organisations around the world to create reserves and give permanent protection to habitats and wildlife.
To date, WLT has helped secure more than 3,312,183 acres of threatened habitat in 20 countries.