Get On celebrity charity ride to Africa underway

Five celebrities are teaming up with Riders for Health and Get On and heading to Lesotho to aid in delivering medical supplies in the fight against HIV and tuberculosis.

Gethin Jones, Darren Gough, Shobna Gulati, Jill Halfpenny, and Oliver Mellor will join up with local health workers to provide healthcare to some of the poorest and most isolated communities in Africa. Lesotho has one of the most severe HIV problems in the world, with nearly one in four adults infected and approximately one on three children being born with the virus.

The group will spend five days riding from community to community, visiting Semonkong and Roma, providing health care to 30,000 people in 60 villages.

The celebrities have spent the months leading up to the trip receiving riding instruction to tackle to difficult terrain they will encounter on their journeys.

Former England cricket player Darren Gough said: “Not many people realise just what good motorbikes can do for communities. Riders for Health are the perfect example of just what amazing things can be achieved by bikes – they help over 10 million people every year and bikes are at the heart of everything they do.”

Jill Halfpenny, star of the West End’s Legally Blonde said:  “I can’t wait to get out to Lesotho and work with Riders for Health. Everyday that I get on a motorbike I love it more and more and think I’m going to end up becoming completely in love with bikes.”

Riders for Health’s vision is of a world in which the poor do not suffer and die for lack of access to health care and other vital services simply because they are isolated by distance or terrain. They work to manage and maintain motorbikes to deliver medical supplies throughout Africa.

The expedition is being organised by Get On, the UK bike industry’s campaign to promote the benefits of life on two wheels. The campaign aims to show both the positive impact which bikes can have on society as well as how easy and accessible it can be to learn.

You can follow the expedition at www.geton.co.uk/africa, which will be updated each day during the trip with videos, pictures, and blog posts. You can also follow along via Facebook at www.facebook.com/GetOnUK and Twitter by following @GetOnTweets