Urgent appeal to save the Life Cycling Academy's Competitive Cycling Program

Cape Town, February 2, 2010

I trust you are all well and - on behalf of everyone at the Life Cycling Academy and Velokhaya - I would like to wish you the very best for 2010 and beyond.

Unfortunately this year has not started off well for us. After having taken a substantial knock in 2009 with the financial recession we find ourselves on the verge of having to close down our flagship program, the Competitive Cycling Program, due to a lack of sponsorship. This program is the pinnacle of our efforts to transform cycling in South Africa and to make competitive cycling accessible to the members of our previously disadvantaged communities.

Having built the program up over the past 6 years, we now find ourselves in a position where talented, motivated and inspired young cyclists - who are achieving amazing results on and off the bike - are having to face the very real possibility of having to slip back into the unsupported rank and file of very poor communities, purely as a result of a lack of financial support for the program.

The holistic nature of the Competitive Cycling Program has seen a dramatic increase in the level of participation in cycling by ensuring comprehensive on and off the bike support for the participants, which includes educational, nutritional, accommodation and life skill development support. In order to make this program work for a group of 30 athletes we are going to need to raise an annual budget of R2 500 000.00 (250 000 euro). This may seem like a lot of money but one must bear in mind that this funding supports the athletes in all aspects of their lives and not just in cycling-specific activities. This means for R83 000.00 per year each participant is:

- Fully equipped and kitted out
- Participates on a national level
- Receives housing and nutritional support
- Receives educational support
- Receives professional coaching and management.

Our current funding for this program runs out in March 2010. In the absence of additional funding, we will be forced to close down the program and bid our athletes farewell. This will be a great shame as the Life Cycling Academy and Velokhaya has achieved many successes and established itself as the biggest and most successful cycling transformation organisation in South Africa.

Specifically, we've achieved incredible results for the participants of our Competitive Cycling Program - these include giving a talented black cyclist the opportunity to compete in Europe, gaining national and provincial titles and generally uplifting the status of black cyclists within the South African cycling community.

I am sure you agree that the closure of this program would be a tragedy and I appeal to you, our loyal supporters, to help prevent this from happening.

Should you wish to assist in averting this tragedy please contact me personally as follows:

- Cellular: 072 170 7547
- Email: glyn@lifeacademy.co.za

Thank you for taking the time to read this appeal and I look forward to the possibility of discussing this in more detail with you in the not too distant future.

Glyn Broomberg
Chief Executive Officer
Life Cycling Academy