Lee Farmer, owner of Andover business, Fastrikes, is hosting a charity raffle to support Naomi House & Jacksplace, where his son, Jack, regularly visits for respite.
The grand prize is a brand new, custom built trike, made especially for the raffle.
Fastrikes is a trike manufacturer that specialises in converting bikes into trikes. The company name came about when Lee wanted to make Jack a part of the family business, and so named it ‘Fastrikes’, which stands for ‘Father and Son Trikes’. The company goal is to enable those that can no longer ride (through disability or unsteadiness) to get back into the saddle.
Lee recently drove the trike, which is based on a Yamaha XV1100 Virago, to the hospices to collect Jack after his recent stay at Jacksplace. Staff at the hospices gathered outside to see the finished prize and pose for photos.
Lee said, “I am the luckiest human being on the planet as Jack chose me to be his daddy almost 19 years ago. Living with and caring for Jack is the most rewarding thing I do, but I’d be lying if I said it was easy. He has a very complex condition which requires constant monitoring. This makes it incredibly difficult to let go of the reigns when it comes to his care.
“Naomi House allow parents to stay with their child during their stay which, over a significant period of time, allowed us to actually be able to relax and spend some time together, safe in the knowledge that Jack’s needs were being taken care of.
“Naomi House & Jacksplace do everything with Jack, from physio, to playing with sensory toys, to helping with his coordination, to taking him out in the garden and riding bicycles in the sun, to helping him pig out on all the special goodies the kitchen staff prepare (which I can assure you are blooming delicious!)
“The guys and girls at the hospices are incredible; always happy and caring whilst staying 100% professional at all times. This gives Jack’s mum, Susie, and I the confidence to actually leave Jack in their care – we’ve even been able to go away for the weekend occasionally (a very strange experience after so many years). Because of their dedication and professionalism I have been able to relax and spend more quality time with Susie.
“Naomi House & Jacksplace never ask for anything in return and I know that this level of care does not come cheap, so as a massive thank you, we have decided to make the charity one of the beneficiaries of our annual trike raffle. The response we’ve had from the public over the last couple of months has been incredible and I am looking forward to drawing the raffle later this month and handing someone the keys to their new trike!
“Thank you to all of the staff at Naomi House & Jacksplace for making my life easier.”
Fastrikes is hoping to sell more the 6,000 raffle tickets before the winner is announced at the Dubs of Anarchy Bike and Bus Show on 27th – 29th September at Ashdown Farm in Worcestershire. The Fastrikes team will be at the show all weekend, drawing the winner on the last day.
The two benefitting charities from this raffle are Naomi House & Jacksplace and The Royal British Legion, both causes that are very close to Lee’s heart.
Lucy Gray, Regional Fundraiser at Naomi House & Jacksplace, said, “We are so grateful to Lee and the entire team from Fastrikes for choosing Naomi House & Jacksplace to be one of the benefitting charities from this awesome raffle. Everyone at the hospices was so excited when Lee drove the trike up here and I can honestly say it is one of the best raffle prizes we have ever seen! This is definitely not an opportunity to pass over, so buy your tickets today for just £2″.
To purchase raffle tickets, you must be over 21 years old. To purchase tickets online you must have a PayPal account. Alternatively, Fastrikes accepts payment over the phone or cheques in the post.
To purchase tickets online click here
To find out more about Fastrikes, visit: https://www.fastrikes.co.uk.
To learn more about Naomi House & Jacksplace and the vital care and support they offer to seriously ill children and young adults in central southern England, visit: www.naomihouse.org.uk.
