FLYING THE FLAG IN HAVANA

F ollowing last year’s successful cycle challenge in Cuba by RMT members which raised over £8,000 for educational projects, some brave souls decided to repeat the experience to offer further assistance to the Abel Santa Maria school for blind and disadvantaged children. RMT members Bill Rawcliffe, Mark Russell, Joe Sheridan and Ron Thompson arrived in Varadero without bicycles or a back-up team to cycle 350 kilometres, averaging between 50 and 70 kms per day at temperatures reaching 33 degrees. After hiring what could loosely be called bicycles, without gears, the group set off. Brother Russell became the first casualty with a swollen ankle which put him out of action and he was ‘forced’ to sit around a swimming pool. The rest of the team, however, finally managed to finish the challenge with only a few hiccups, including a puncture repaired by two Cuban policemen. There was also a handlebar problem and various degrees of sunburn. The group moved on to Havana to fly the RMT flag at the school and deliver gifts of sports, educational and musical equipment, together with two laptop computers kindly donated by Jarvis Rail. The final task was to visit an emergency hospital in one of the poorer areas of Havana and hand over medical supplies and equipment worth over £3,000. RMT has made firm friends in Cuba and close ties with solidarity groups, long may it continue. Anyone wishing to assist can forward donations to RMT York and District branch. *A full account including photographs and video clips will shortly be available on www.cuba.nr www.rmt.org.uk :: may 2006 :: RMTnews 27 At the end of June Ade Wildsmith and his partner will depart the Ace Café London with 25 other motorcyclists to take part in an organised event to raise funds for the world children’s charity UNICEF. The self-funded six-day trip across Europe will take them to the Nurburgring racing circuit in Germany, where those brave enough will do some laps of the 147-corner track. The RMT Council of Executives has already donated £250 and authorised all branches to make donations to UNICEF from their Branch Management Funds. The whole event is called “Another Way Round” and is designed to raise awareness of UNICEF’s work on behalf of children in distress around the world. Ade’s motorbike will bear the RMT name and the slogan Unity is Strength. “The whole event is being filmed and DVDs will be on sale after the trip with all proceeds going to UNICEF. “I hope will branches will agree that this will fly the flag for our union across Europe and support a very worthwhile cause,” he said. If any branches wish to support them could you please send a cheque made payable to UNICEF, to Adrian Wildsmith, Branch Secretary, RMT Lincoln no.1, 84 Newark Road, Lincoln, LN5 8QA. FLYING THE FLAG IN HAVANA ON THE ROAD FOR UNICEF