Every August Bank Holiday Sunday, the footpaths and roads between Southery and Downham Market in Norfolk fill with people. Some are on motorbikes, some on pedal bikes, and some are on foot for Phil’s Ride, which remembers Phil Beeton, who was in a serious road collision in October 2015, alongside his nephew Harry. It was an incident a crew from East Anglian Air Ambulance attended. Harry survived but sadly Phil died from his injuries.
The community comes together for Phil’s Ride and in 2026 – the event’s tenth year, they reached the incredible milestone of £200,000 raised in aid of East Anglian Air Ambulance – enough money to fund 47 emergency taskings to help 47 other people.
What started as a small group of friends with an idea has become something much bigger. Phil’s Ride is open to anyone who wants to turn up. There’s no elite field and no stopwatch; it’s 3 miles for the walkers, 23 miles for the cyclists and 110 for the motorcyclists.
Organiser, David Fletcher, explains more,
“The year after Phil died, a group of us wanted to do something in memory of him. With his partner’s blessing, Phil’s Ride began – and it’s grown significantly over the years. Members of Phil’s family and friends have also taken on additional personal challenges, including walking across the Sahara Desert, crossing Costa Rica from the Pacific to the Atlantic. In 2023 the team walked from Blakeney to Southery (53 miles). In 2025, they cycled from Southery to Blakeney and back via Buckingham Palace, which equated to 365 miles, a mile to represent the 24/7, 365 days service of East Anglian Air Ambulance.
This boosts the money raised by the annual August Bank Holiday ride.
“The sight of hundreds of motorcyclists, cyclists and walkers setting off together is quite a spectacle, with plenty of people cheering them on,” David continues. “The walkers usually arrive back at The Old White Bell in Southery first, followed by the cyclists and motorcyclists at around 4.30pm when they all ride in together. There are live bands in the evening, and stories get swapped about the day. It’s a village coming together.”
Over the years they’ve even featured live on BBC Radio Norfolk with our yellow helicopter landing in the background. In 2022, £30,000 became the highest annual total, but 2026 topped that with £32,468 raised so far.
£200,000 and counting
In its tenth year, Phil’s Ride passed an extraordinary milestone thanks to individual and corporate support over the last decade: £200,000 raised in aid East Anglian Air Ambulance – and that’s set to rise further with a group pf Phil’s relatives and friends trekking to Everest Base Camp in October 2026.
“While it’s a two-week adventure of a lifetime, it’s also the final big personal challenge and from next year it will just be the Phil’s Ride each August Bank Holiday,” David says.
The money raised through ten years of Phil’s Ride and personal challenges helps to keep our crews, helicopters and critical care cars ready to respond to people experiencing medical emergencies across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. When someone in our region has the worst day of their life, our critical care team can reach them quickly and bring the hospital to their side – and it’s all possible thanks to public support and donations.
David adds that simply they’re proud of what they’ve achieved. They have every right to be. To everyone who has ridden, walked, cheered, or donated over the past decade, thank you.
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