Pedalling for Growing Futures

Cycling 1,200 kilometres from Picton to Bluff is a promise. It's me finishing a journey I started in 2025, with children and families at its heart.

In Cholmondeley's 100th year, our Patron Nuk Korako and I rode 1,617 kilometres from Cape Reinga to Wellington, sharing the story of Cholmondeley Children's Centre and what it means for tamariki and whānau in their hardest moments. People listened, they gave, and they cheered us on.

Now I'm back on the bike for Pedaling for Growing Futures: the length of the South Island in ten days. Our General Manager, Libby Ornsby, will join me for part of the ride, and having someone beside me who cares as deeply as she does will make those kilometres mean even more.

There will be steep hills, tired legs, and days when Bluff feels a very long way off. What gets me through is knowing that somewhere tonight, a child needs a safe, caring place to stay while their family gets support. That's what Cholmondeley is here for, and that's who I'll be thinking of on every climb.

Our tamariki are at the heart of everything we do. They are the reason for this ride.

A donation, a kind message or a wave from the roadside will all help carry me south. If you spot me out on the road, say hi, or better still, ride alongside me for a while.

I'll be doing the pedalling, but this is a journey we make together.

Thank you for your kindness, your generosity and, above all, for caring about our children and their futures.

Nettles Lamont

Chair, Cholmondeley Children's Centre