Employees of Honiton’s LED leisure centre in double challenge in memory of best friend

Colleagues from Honiton's Leisure Centre will undertake two endurance challenges in May and June, in memory of a friend.

In 2021 Adam Bounds died suddenly from a brain haemorrhage, aged just 41. He left behind a young son and his death shocked the small community in Axminster, where he grew up and played for the local football team. He was Matthew's best friend.

Matthew Payne (aged 44) and Alan Cockram work together at Honiton's LED Leisure Centre and they have joined forces with three of Matthew and Adam's school friends to raise as much money as they can.

On 27 May the team will cycle from Lyme Regis to Newquay and on June 23 they will walk the length of the East Devon Way.

The cyclists who will be taking part in the ride to Newquay (from left to right): Edder Gage, Matthew Payne, Alan Cockram, Rob Gage, Dan Galloway (Credit: Matthew Payne)

Matthew, who lives in Axminster with his family, used to enjoy attending the Lyme Regis Lifeboat Week with Adam and with that in mind Matthew will be raising money for the RNLI. The two friends also used to spend time together in Newquay. 

This is the second year that Matthew and Alan have taken on the 132-mile cycle to Newquay - last year more than £3,000 was raised by Matthew and the other cyclists who took part. The team will set off at 5am and will ride from Lyme's lifeboat station to the RNLI station in Newquay. They are hoping to complete the challenge in a shorter time this year and would like to raise at least £1,000. 

Alan suggested adding another challenge to this year's fundraising efforts and so on June 23 the team will be walking the entire length of the East Devon Way, a gruelling 42-mile route from Exmouth lifeboat station to Lyme Regis' lifeboat station. 

Alan and Matthew will be joined on the walk by Andrew Dare, who is the Group Fitness and Wellbeing Manager for LED. 

Matthew told Nub News: "Me and Adam both went to Woodroffe school in Lyme Regis and hung out together in Lyme. Adam moved to Bristol but used to come down to visit and liked to come down for Lyme Regis Lifeboat week.

"We also used to go away to Newquay for a lads holiday, so this is where the idea came for us to ride form Lyme Regis lifeboat station to Newquay lifeboat station to raise Money for the RNLI."

You can make a donation to the team's fundraising efforts here.