This Saturday many Mancunians take part in a treasure hunt around the city…on bicycles! The treasure hunt is organised by I Bike MCR, a local grassroots community cycling group that organises a number of bike related activities and events throughout the year, including free bike maintenance classes, cycle confidence classes and bike rides along with other more leftfield activities such as bike dancing and bicycle polo.

This event has been organised to support Manchester Commitee to Defend Asylum Seekers. The riders, in pairs, will be following a set route and buying and collecting presents that will then be donated to MCDAS Chidren's Christmas Party.

The treasure hunt taking place this Saturday 5th December at 2pm starts outside Bicycle Boutique, on Grosvenor St near the Sugden Centre. The route takes them to a variety of local businesses and charity shops around the city centre and out to Withington, Fallowfield and Chorlton.

At the final checkpoint their items will be checked off and then wrapped up ready to be given to the children at the Manchester Commitee to Defend Asylum Seekers Christmas party which takes place the following week.

Nes Brierley, a volunteer for I Bike MCR said “we hope that this event will raise awareness of all the hard work that MCDAS does. We are proud to support them in this way which will enable cyclists to have heaps of fun on their bikes and to enable them to help make a difference at the same time”.

The riders don’t only get a warm fuzzy feeling from taking part, there are also prizes to be won for the pairs that reach the final checkpoint first and also the pair that completes a variety of tasks en route. Tasks include activities such as carol singing, making Christingles, and wearing fancy dress. Prizes have been donated from a variety of local businesses including Bicycle Doctor and also companies as far away as Budapest, such as Bagaboo who make bags for cyclists, have also shown their support.

Everyone is welcome to take part in the event though due to the distance it is probably more appropriate for adults or children on tag-alongs or tandems. If you see a bunch of cyclists on Saturday riding round the streets in fancy dress carrying teddy bears, please give them a cheer!

To find out more please visit www.ibikemcr.org.uk or email
 info@ibikemcr.org.uk

TO find out more about MCDAS see:  http://www.defend-asylum.org/