MORE GOOD NEWS..

A few months ago, Apollo Gerolymbos got in touch with a fund raising idea..build a couple of bikes with donated frames and bike parts, raffle some tickets and give all the proceeds to the LCEF. With the help and generosity of cyclists from the Fixed Gear and Single Speed Forum, he built these two beauties ready to be taken for a ride.

The Peugeot Equipe

The Specialized Langster

Few weeks later and with £1010 worth of raffle tickets sold, i met up with Apollo and his friends  at the Jolly Butcher in Stokey to draw the winning tickets.

And our lucky winners are Sabine Rosenkranz and James Robinson so congratulations. Story goes that James pledged an extra £50 donation if he won one of the bike and he kept his word. So thank you Apollo, thank you James and to all the peeps who donated towards this project and all of  you who bought tickets…we’re touched.

 

WE’ RE ALL GOING ON A COURIER HOLIDAY..

Where do couriers like to go on holiday? courier events of course…with other couriers, riding their bikes and doing courier things.

These coming months are packed with messenger races and championships that will take us in all corner of Europe,well Switzerland mainly.

The summer kicks off with the Bern ECMC 2013 pre-event in Milano. I’ll be heading off to sunny Italy next week to help out my good friend  Matteo and catch up with fellow messengers.

  More info here: http://ecmcpreevent2013.tumblr.com

Check the teaser: http://vimeo.com/66745450

The pre-event will be followed by a ride to Bern, Switzerland, where the  18th European Cycle Messenger Championships will be taking place.

Everything you need to know is here: http://www.ecmc2013.ch/index-en.html

http://vimeo.com/66585455

Few weeks to recover and it will be time to ride off again. The whole messenger community is eagerly waiting for the 21st edition of the Cycle Messenger World Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland. It promises to be an impeccably organised and extravagant event.

The Lausanne crew have been working hard for the past couple of years, after securing the bid at the CMWC in Warsaw to host the largest messenger event of the year. They have been racing, winning and partying harder than anyone else and brought their jacuzzi everywhere they went.

So very much looking forward to hit the mountain roads and spend that first weekend of August by  Lake Leman with the messenger family.

All info here: http://cmwc13.com/en

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5dU6okY6CM

Now all i need to do is find that beer voucher Josephine gave me a couple of year ago.

But before we breathe in the clean air of the Swiss mountains, our first port of call will be Paris for the CMWC 2013 pre-event: Paname Experience 2. 

The Paname crew are renowned for putting on grueling alleycats and riotous parties. So it’s back to the homeland for me. I will definitely have to curb swearing in French at drivers; that might get me into trouble.

All details are here: http://www.panamexperience2.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZS6JrbvQ-c&feature=plcp

More events, races, alleycats etc will be happening all over so check your courier calendar for any local events.

And London? well, the 6th edition of London’s Calling will be on the 6/7/8 September.

We have a cracking team of young, enthusiastic couriers, who are working hard to bring you a devilish event.

More info very soon… 

 

HOW WE RAISE MONEY

When we started the fund 5 years ago, we had a few hundred pound collected from a couple of races after 2 of our courier mates suffered a bad crash on the same day. 

We got thinking of ways to raise more money so we would be able to sustain the fund and help out any riders who needed it in the future.  

Bought and worn by cycling enthusiasts all over the globe, the famous London LCEF cycling cap was our first bit of merchandise. A full range of LCEF goodies is now available and the LCEF cycling jerseys are coming soon.

Donations have also been a great help to the fund especially in those early days. More recently, after the passing of  Steffan Davies, a keen cyclist and familiar face in the courier scene, many of his friends have donated to the LCEF in his memory.

I would also like to mention Lees Solicitors/Bike Claims Solicitors in Birkenhead, who have made a generous £250 donation a couple of weeks ago.

 And of course,the London  and the world courier community have contributed heaps to keep the fund going and make it bigger and better year after year so thanx to all of you.

But once in a while, someone from the wider cycling community gets in touch and it goes like this “hey, i got  a great idea and i’m gonna raise money for your fund”;  which is exactly what Apollo Gerolymbos has done…he’s gone and built a couple of bikes with parts donated for this project.

 Now those two bikes are top prizes in a raffle in aid of the LCEF , raffle tickets are £5 and are on sale until the 31st of May.

Apollo has raised £250 so far so help him to raise more and get in with a chance to win one of these two beauties, check out the full story and get your raffle ticket here:

http://www.cyclelove.net/2013/04/london-courier-emergency-fund-bike-build-raffle/

You can also check Apollo’s blog:

http://ablogbyapollo.wordpress.com/2013/04/07/lcef-freecycle-builds-the-raffle/

 

 

 

 

 

 

DONKEY DERBY 2013 RESULTS

Another great night at the Horseshoe…another great Donkey Derby.

Thank you to everyone who raced and those who came to support them. 

Congratulations to our winners Max, who also did fastest time overall at 22.79 and Momo.

Along with Tommy and Sam, they will be competing next weekend at the Grand Finale: Rollapaluza National Series (more info::http://www.rollapaluza.com/calendar/) so come and support.

All results from last night roller race here: http://www.rollapaluza.com/rollapaluza-donkey-derby/

Thanx to everyone who came, brilliant turnout..was great to see the new courier generation on those rollers.
Thanx to Gertie for setting it all up and running the show,  Jo,Simone and Max..also Ram, Alex and Timi for the sound…to the Horseshoe for having us and Caspar@ Rollapaluza.

And we raised about £250 for the LCEF.

See you all on the road..ride safe…

 

 

 

DONKEY DERBY 2013

The new edition of the Donkey Derby , roller-racing for working couriers only , is upon us. The 1st LCEF fundraiser of the year will take place at the Horseshoe pub, its original home, where it all started many,many years ago. Back then, Kaspar and friends brought roller-racing to London after being inspired by the Goldsprints in Zurich. High-speed rolling, crazy cheering , copious amounts of boozing and top-notch beats all contributed to make roller-racing nights must-go events in the courier calendar . Roller-racing has happened in many venues but we will always have a soft spot for the Horseshoe.

Kaspar and Winston have gone onto bigger and better things in the past 6 years or so by setting up Rollapaluza but once a year, they return to the warm and sweaty bosom of the courier community.

So come and cheer on your favorite messengers.

Only working messengers are allowed to race but everyone is welcome for a night of rolling mayhem.

Winners will go onto the Rollapaluza National Series Finale so come and set your lungs on fire.

Qualifiers from 7 – Finals from 9

£5 entry to all racers 

Beats’n'roll by Dazzler and Adamski. 

More on Rollapaluza here: http://www.rollapaluza.com/

Poster by House of Pistard: http://www.houseofpistard.com/

 

 

END OF THE WORLD COURIER CALENDAR LAUNCH PARTY

Right folks, it’s that time of the year, courier got naked, we took tasteful pictures and put them together to bring you the 2013 edition of the Courier Calendar. In it’s 3rd year now, what started with London couriers going au naturel to support of the LCEF,  involved the whole European messenger community last year.

For this new edition, 14 cities from all around the globe have taken part. I am stoked that so many of you have come forward to help us on this project and make it happen. So thanks to all models who took part, all photographers and also all our sponsors.

And special thanks to Roman Skyva and Jay Moon, respectively designer and illustrator who have done a great job.

Cities in the calendars this year are Montreal, Aarhus, London, Basel, Zurich, Berlin, Madrid, Mexico, Bern, Warsaw, New York, Copenhagen, Nagoya and Utrecht so if you want a copy and you’re local to these cities, hit me up and i’ll put in touch with your local courier calendar dealer. On sale for £10 only!

The calendars are also on sale here: http://bagaboo.hu/ on their webshop or here: http://www.houseofpistard.com/ (thanx Xander).

 

But of course, London people will also be able to purchase them and more LCEF goodies at the End of the World Courier Calendar Launch Party this Friday at the Yard, in Hackney Wick.  There will be live music with 100% Beefc**k and the T*tburster and Heck Tate + DJ’s…there will be snax, a well-stocked bar and Kieran will be there.

All proceeds from the sale of these calendars will go straight to the LCEF, the Warsaw Kurier Fund, the BMEF (Bicyle Messenger Emergency Fund) and the Mexico Fund.

Donations will  also be made to the organisors of the ECMC in Bern and the CMWC in Lausanne … everyone’s a winner so grab a calendar and support the worldwide messenger community.

 

Another way to support us while keeping warm and stylish is to get your hands of one of our new hoodies.

All sizes available from Extra Small to Extra Large / Zip £25 or no zip  £20/ LCEF Classic logo or new LCEF skull design..t-shirts also available..if you’re interested, get in touch at: londoncourieremergencyfund@gmail.com and we’ll arrange delivery for you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our popular caps are also back, with a twist…slightly new design…top quality headgear by Apis…you know you want one.

 Available in black, red, grey, white, green,white, fuschia, retro pink, light blue, dark blue, medium blue..with or without the world champion stripe. One size only £6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HELPING EACH OTHER:

It has been another full-on year for the LCEF. We have been able to help over 15 injured riders in the past 12 months, offer them financial support (an average payout from the LCEF is £300) and legal aid when needed.  Physical injury, not being able to work and earn can be very stressful so, for us to be in the position to help out those couriers, has been greatly rewarding.

Obviously, we would not be able to do all this without the help and support of all of you out there who come to our events, race our alleycats, buy our merchandise and make donations so big thank you to the whole courier/cycling community and beyond.

Unfortunately, a couple of our friends didn’t make it to see the end of this year so i would like  to remember Henry Warwick, who was killed in February in a collision with a coach and young Ken Third, who left us  in July. Those guys were happiest riding their bikes and are greatly missed.

I would also like to mention Steffan Davies, who has passed away recently. A friend of the couriers, he was always up for a race, a friendly face at the pub, always supporting the LCEF any way he could and he carries on as several donations have been made in his name to the LCEF in the last few days.

So let’s ride safe out there and look out for each other.

 

2013 is looking to be another busy year for us…we are hoping to set up an online shop so you can easily purchase LCEF merchandise, produce 2 cycling jerseys, celebrate our 5th anniversary in style, do more collaborations with talented artists, more fundraising and keep up with a busy schedule of messenger events all over the world but we will, of course, keep you updated.

’till then, enjoy the holiday season and best wishes for the new year to all of you who have supported us through another successful year.

 

LONDON’S CALLING 5

London’s Calling 5 is over, we are tired but very happy. A combination of grand courier spirit, great  races  and awesome parties made it our best event so far.

All made possible by the hard work of the LCEF crew so thank you Vojtech,Apryl anDarren. Many thanx to Delphina for helping out at the bar, Gertie and Rosine,our Rollapaluza power couple, 100% beefcock and the titbursters, Rikki Fredo and the Fucktones, Ragworm, Franky and the Jacks and Noise complaint for the sound, all DJ’s,Lawrence for a great set, Sleepy for more great beats, Lano for taking to the decks one more time and Dazzler for making us boogie ’till the end of the night.

Thanx to Dave and Sam at the Limehouse Town hall, the boys at the Electric Matchbox, Hinde for the Courieoke, all the staff at the Victoria pub. Big up to all the Alleycat marshalls and everyone who helped us out during the weekend.

It was a pleasure to see so many out-of-towners and friendly faces who came out and partied with us.

And big thank you to all our sponsors.

It was also one of our main fundraiser for the LCEF.

See you all in Edinburgh for another weekend of messenger madness..can’t wait..

Check the ECMC Edinburgh here: http://www.ecmc2012.co.uk/

Check the London’s calling 5 website for results and pictures of the event: http://londonscalling2012.com/

 

GET ROLLING

Hey folks, it’s that time of the year again…Rollapaluza is pairing up with the LCEF to bring you another edition of the Donkey Derby…as usual, this one is for working messengers only..but spectators are more than welcomed.

Entry is £5 for all participants and donations for the others.
All proceeds to go to the BMEF (Bicycle Messenger Emergency Fund,
http://www.bicyclemessenger.org/)

Also, we will be celebrating the 4th birthday of the LCEF,so come and help us blow our candles (no spitting on the  cake!!!yeah there will be cake)..

Prizes from Bikefix and Two Wheels Good.
Music by Sleepy Joe aka Boycey and Lano del Futuro.

The new LCEF tee-shirt will also be on sale at the Donker Derby, a great design from our friend Jay Moon.  Just got them from the printers a few days ago and they looking ace…£10 only, come and grab one.

If you want us to keep one on the side for you, drop us a line@ londoncourieremergency@gmail.com

We got all sizes, men and ladies (S,M and L).

Last but not least, London’s Calling 5, the official pre-event to the European Cycle Messenger Championships 2012 in Edinburgh ( http://www.ecmc2012.co.uk/ ), will be taking place the second weekend of June from the 8th to the 10th.

Get all info and register here:  http://londonscalling2012.com/

 

 

New Year News

The LCEF 4th anniversary is fast approaching and this has been yet another eventful and rewarding year. The fund has been growing from strength to strength, getting more and more support from the courier community and the wider cycling community.

The European Courier Calendar, our last fundraiser, has been a huge success and has been sold out all across Europe and further afield – so thanx to all of you out there who helped out and got your kit off – some of the proceeds went to the Warsaw Kurier Fund and some of it to the guys in Edinburgh to help them out with the organisation of the European Cycle Messenger Championships 2012. We’re hoping to give them another £500 soon so the sale of the calendar can benefit all the European couriers out there who given their time and energy. More calendars are on their way to London soon so if you didn’t get one, get in touch!!

The last month or so has seen several cycle couriers being involved in very serious accidents, all involving HGVS. The LCEF has paid out over £1000 to these riders who will be out of action for the next few months. One of them, Andrew Robinson, is still in hospital after a second operation on his leg and is not expected to ride again for another 6 months at least. Here’s Andy recuperating at home, squeezing out a smile for the camera.

One rider we haven’t been able to help though is Henry Warwick. Henry, a veteran courier, was killed 2 weeks ago after a collision with a coach on Bishopsgate in the CIty of London, which makes him the 9th London bicycle courier killed whilst at work. A memorial ride was held last Friday from the Foundry to the spot where Henry lost his life. About 200 people came, mostly messengers, to pay their respect and say their last goodbye. Accidents like these remind you how dangerous this job can be, even for the most experienced among us. So ride safe out there and don’t even think of undertaking that lorry when it’s turning left, you might not make it.

Following this tragedy and a post on the LFGSS forum highlighting the LCEF and our aim, we have received many donations from the general public, cyclists and non-cyclist alike from all over the UK. So thank you again for your generosity, it’s greatly appreciated and will go straight into the pocket of injured riders.

We will also meet this Thursday (23rd of February) around 7 o’clock at The Foundry to take a slow ride to the corner of Lower Thames st and Queen St Place EC4 to remember our friend, Sebastian Lukomski, who died whilst working on that day 8 years ago … not forgotten.

We’ll keep you posted with our coming fundraisers; a possible 4th anniversary party, the annual Donkey Derby and the much anticipated 5th edition of London’s Calling, which will be held in June as pre-event to the ECMC 2012 in Edinburgh… website up and running soon.

In the meantime, we have just received our biggest order of LCEF cycling caps, so if you need some stylish headgear, drop us a line. (These are also available at Look Mum No Hands on Old St, Velorution on Gt Portland St and Fullcity on Leather Lane).
And to keep you warm, hoodies are on coming soon all the way from Scotland and the House of Pistard: http://www.houseofpistard.com/).

Last but not least, Darren “Dazzler” Coxson has left the LCEF committee to apply himself to his studies, so we wish you all the best and thanx for your time and efforts over the past 4 years. You will be missed!

 

Digger “The Revolutionary Fundraiser”, Dark Times and more..

On Saturday the 15th of October we had the opportunity to celebrate Digger’s 50th birthday in Look Mum No Hands. Digger asked me to organise an alleycat for that occasion, with the intention to raise some money for LCEF (that man really has his heart on the left side). So I printed forty manifests for “The Revolutionary Diggcat”. Digger himself took care of the spokecards. All was planed, apart of one thing…. well, the racers. They were just too busy to have a great time on the dance floor and forgot about the race. So, another alleycat that never happened
However, everyone had an awesome time and Digger managed to sell a loads of spokecards… in total £180 worth of spokecards for the benefit of the LCEF. Well done young man! We salute you! Also big thanks to Brixton Cycles, Bikeworks and LMNH for supplying the prizes. They will be used for the next race!

And so the bands battled for the LCEF!

On Friday 21st of October, our friends, and always supportive courier band Ragworm and also for the messenger community unknown band Rikky Fredo & the Fabulous Fucktones organised a battle of bands at the amazing Grosvenor. Ryan the Cannuck organised the “Race of Cocks alleycat” to make the transfer to SE London quicker and more fun. Starting at Fullcity and finishing at the Grosvenor with four checkpoints in between. New to the London messenger scene, Lane from Melbourne Australia, won the race and took home a track frame donated by Fullcity.
Before the battle we were to witness one surprise announcement by Buffalo Bill and that was award winning ceremony for Steph aka “Papillon” with the “Markus Cook Award” for services to the international courier community. Well done Papillon, you truly deserve it! And then the battle started with Ragworm. They showed us more than their solid performance of pumping punk’n'roll. These guys are getting better and better! Nobody quite knew what to expect from Rikky Fredo & Fabulous Fucktones. But I have to say…these “fakengers” rocks! I didn’t have such a fun for a long time! And the same counts for the half naked audience! Good times and rock’n'roll! I don’t really know which band won the battle, however these guys managed to raise around £200! So the LCEF is the winner! Well done all of you, who are about to rock!

by Vojtech