THIS weekend the movement meets to celebrate the Tolpuddle martyrs in Dorset. 

It serves as a timely reminder that back in 2016 as part of our annual fundraising challenges for the paper I set off from the Star’s then headquarters in east London on a 240km solo race against the clock to deliver a special solidarity message from John Haylett, the then political editor of the paper, to the Campaign for Trade Union Freedom (CTUF) fringe meeting on the eve of this festival.

The message that day was a simple one of continued solidarity with CTUF in the fight to remove the legal restrictions facing trade unions in Britain and the need to step up the organising and campaigning work with a focused determination to win workers to a progressive agenda.

The message from the legendary editor remains as relevant today as it was when first delivered and the Morning Star continues to play a vital role in that relentless fight. 

Trade unionists and the progressive left must stand in unity with the only paper that dares to tell the truth on a daily basis. Not just on the big stories but on the many local struggles we face at work and in our communities that go unreported by the mainstream media.

Today, with just over a week before Pedal4Progress sets off on our 10th anniversary fundraising challenge, we urge all readers and supporters to get behind us, helping us reach our goal of raising £10,000 and building new readers through the Reach for the Star initiative. 

We know each day the Morning Star is on our side and now it’s time to show the paper whose side we’re on.

You can follow our journey through the regular updates in the paper, but for the more adventurous why not join us along our route, cycling for a few encouraging kilometres along the Trans Pennine Trail.

On Day 1, Tuesday July 26, we will be setting off at Jack Jones House in Liverpool. The team will ease themselves into the challenge via Widnes, Warrington, Altrincham, Stretford before completing the stage in central Manchester.

That evening there will be a special Morning Star rally with and reception with Bernadette Keaveney at Arena Point from 7pm. All readers and supporters welcome. 

Day 2, Wednesday July 27 will be a tough day, heading east out of Manchester towards Hadfield and over the Peak District climbing between Snake Pass and Woodhead Pass to reach the highest point of the challenge at Windle Edge down to Penistone rolling all the way to Wortley Hall near Sheffield. 

The reward for all that climbing in the hills will be another Morning Star rally and social at 7pm at Wortley Hall. Speakers include Maxine Peake followed by a Morning Star/Pedal4Progress-themed quiz over a well-earned drink.

Day 3, Thursday July 28, will in comparison be a little easier on the legs, although on paper it is the longest stage. Continuing along the Trans Pennine Trail, riders and the support team will head towards Conisbrough, Doncaster, Braithwaite and Selby. 

There is no planned fundraising rally for the team in Selby, allowing the group to have a well-deserved rest before the final push on to Hull.

On Day 4, Friday July 29, the group will  pick up the river Humber and follow the route through Howden, Ellerker and North Ferriby before we reach the outskirts of Hull and the approach into the city centre. 

The ride will officially end here on the site of the International Brigade Memorial Trust (IBMT) sculpture at Guild Hall. 

Local representatives of the Hull and District Trades Council and Hull International Brigades Memorial Group will be there to greet us along with award-winning musician Joe Solo.

The rides will start at 9am each morning and we have several pitstops and regrouping points along the route. 

The average distance we’ll be covering each day is around 72km and we’ll be riding at a leisurely 20km per hour. 

We have already had lots of enquiries about joining us for sections of the route and for anyone wanting more details on times, locations and the route please contact Les Doherty on 07733 266-307.

Whether you can ride with us, join us for a brew along the route or get involved with our evening rallies, what we really need is every reader to get behind the challenge, helping us celebrate 10 years of pedalling for progress by smashing this year’s target of £10,000. 

Please donate what you can, spread the word and share the Morning Star in your workplaces and communities. If we are to remain focused on the tasks laid out in the message of John Haylett to the 2016 Tolpuddle fringe meeting, they surely cannot be completed without strengthening the vital role of the Morning Star.

To support us in this challenge please donate by bank transfer to: Merseyside Morning Star sort code 60-83-01 account number 20428060. Please reference your donation P4P10. Contact [email protected] for information.

Les Doherty, P4P leader and Manchester Morning Star Readers and Supporters Group.