For 10 days in the summer, Tim Oliver and a small group of friends rode through the Himalayas on motorbikes raising an incredible £2,300 for Winston’s Wish – enough to support one family for an entire year.

The group of “mostly grey-haired bikey friends” chuffed, puffed and simply toughed their way from Manali to Leh in the Himalayas on Enfield Bullet motorcycles. The group raised money for a number of charities and Tim decided to support Winston’s Wish, riding the whole way with a Winston Bear attached to his bike!

Why did you decide to take on this challenge?

I’ve done many things on bikes, including racing, trials, restorations, and although I’ve always been fascinated by long-distance travel I’ve never done any until now. I’ve read numerous stories of people who’ve ridden long distances on old machines, so when my friend Steve suggested the Himalaya trip, I had to go for it.

Why did you choose to raise money for Winston’s Wish?

I head of Winston’s Wish through a friend in the village where I live. There was a tragic accident when a young boy from the village was lost to a freak wave at Weston-Super-Mare, and Winston’s Wish were very supportive towards the family. Having lost my own father when I was 16, and knowing that we didn’t really ‘deal’ with the situation, or get any help to cope in the aftermath, I decided to support a charity who would help families in a similar situation to myself.

If I’m honest, I started out looking to raise money for a charity simply as a way of justifying the cost and time away from family. However, once I’d settled on Winston’s Wish and started telling people about the charity I became passionate about it and found myself constantly surprised at how much people really wanted to give. Whether the donation was large or small, 95% of my sponsors wanted to offer their hard-earned money. They weren’t doing it through duty but they actually wanted to be part of the event and to support such a brilliant cause.

What was your favourite part of the trip?

I have lots of fantastic memories – the camaraderie of the group, many of whom had not met before; the wonderful scenery; the fabulous people; the fun of riding on relatively empty roads… The moment I’ll hold precious is riding from Lato to Leh, alongside the Indus River. The weather was perfect, the countryside stunning, I was with friends, and, for a biker, I’d say it was as close to paradise as you’re going to get.

Why did you take Winston Bear with you?

I’ve travelled quite a lot with my work, and when my daughter Daisy was small she used to get a little anxious about me being away. One time, I took her a little orange furry fish, who we named Well-Travelled Walter, and sent pictures and notes to Daisy as if from Walter. When Walter came home safe and sound from places like Australia and South Africa, it seemed to make travelling less scary for Daisy. I was hoping that by bring Winston Bear with me to the Himalayas, it would make the world a little less frightening for children when they heard the story.

Tim brought Winston Bear back to the UK and he is now on display in one of our family rooms, adorned with Nepalese jewellery. When any of the children ask about Winston Bear, we can tell them his story. Just like the journey of grief, Tim and Winston’s Himalayan ride involved ups and downs, bumps and bruises, but also a lot of happiness and joy, proving their ability to be resilient and create new memories and relationships that will last a lifetime.