Hundreds of bikers expected to raise money for Air Ambulance at yearly motorcycle charity ride in Northampton

The public are invited to wrap up and kickstart the new year by supporting a charitable cause in memory of one of the event's founders
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A motorcycle charity ride in Northampton will take place next month in aid of the Air Ambulance service.

The annual Chilly Willy Motorcycle charity ride - now in its ninth year - will go ahead on January 9, 2022 at the All Seasons Cafe in the Billing Garden Village.

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Every year, bikers from all over the county are invited to the event to kick off the new year by raising money for the Northamptonshire and Warwickshire Air Ambulance service.

The annual Chilly Willy Motorcycle Charity RideThe annual Chilly Willy Motorcycle Charity Ride
The annual Chilly Willy Motorcycle Charity Ride

Organiser, Nick Ingram, said: "It is a charity that - if you asked any biker, most of them would choose the Air Ambulance.

"It is not funded by the government and they save the lives of people who have accidents on the road.

"It is the one charity we can get all the bikers to come out to support. It is just something that is close to the bikers' hearts."

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The last motorcycle charity run took place on January 5, 2020. This was held in memory of one of the original founders of the Chilly Willy Motorcycle charity run, Rich Moore, who passed away very suddenly at the beginning of 2019. A minute of applause was held to remember him.

The annual Chilly Willy Motorcycle Charity RideThe annual Chilly Willy Motorcycle Charity Ride
The annual Chilly Willy Motorcycle Charity Ride

The 2020 event attracted around 800 motorcycles and raised just under £6,000 for the Northamptonshire and Warwickshire Air Ambulance - a record-breaking amount for the event.

Despite the run not going ahead in 2021, the Chilly Willy charity was able to raise £310 for the Air Ambulance.

The annual charity motorcycle ride first ran in 2014 and £400 was raised by bikers.

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Since then, it has steadily increased over the years until 2020 when the fundraising record was smashed and £5,700 was raised, bringing the total to £15,531 since the Chilly Willy charity was founded.

The Chilly Willy route is a figure-of-eight that runs down to the outskirts of Bedford, over to Sherrington, through Olney up to Wollaston and back to the All Seasons Cafe.

Attendees are asked to meet at the All Seasons Cafe on January 9 at 10am ready for departure at noon for an hour of riding the 48 mile route before meeting back at the start point

To find out more about the Chilly Willy Charity Run, visit their Facebook page.