On the eighth day of the eighth month (8 August) staff from Dreams, the leading bed specialist, embarked on an 88-mile cycle trip; stopping at eight Dreams stores along the way in a bid to raise £8,888.88 for The Fostering Network.

Why all the eights? Dreams are currently encouraging people to renew their mattresses every eight years.

The fundraising event was organised as part of The Fostering Network’s partnership with Dreams and 11 members of Dreams staff took part in the ride and they were ably supported by a whole host of colleagues organising refreshments, planning the route, designing the kit and supporting the riders during the event.

Rider, Matt Showan, said: ‘It was a fantastic day with great support….It was pleasure to be a part of making a positive difference to children’s lives’

The cyclists varied in experience and ability with some having never done 88 miles in one go before.

One such cyclist, Tom Evans - whose previous longest ride was 52 miles, said: ‘The day itself was excellent, I felt overwhelmed with pride in what we were all setting out to achieve and had a real sense of euphoria whilst riding on the roads supporting such a worthy charity. ‘I was a little apprehensive in the build-up as I hadn’t had the opportunity to do the training I wanted.' 

Fittingly, the lead group finished in just under eight hours and the event has raised more than £24,000 pounds.

Watch the video of the ride here and if you would like to donate and send a message to the riders, go to their JustGiving page.

The Fostering Network would like to say a huge thank you to the riders, support staff and everyone who has donated.

Find out more about The Fostering Network’s partnership with Dreams.