The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has cancelled its London to Brighton Bike Ride fundraiser due to the high risk of cancellation amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The charity said that it was unable to confirm that the event could take place this year as the UK public faces restrictions on their movement and gathering in large groups to curb the rate of infection.

The event is scheduled to return in 2022.

The charity said: “We've taken the difficult decision to postpone our London to Brighton Bike Ride in 2021. With the uncertainty of the pandemic, together with the high risk of cancellation, we can’t confirm that we'll be able to offer the experience we know you love. L2B will return with an even bigger and better event in 2022.”

In the absence of the event this year the charity is offering a range of fundraising challenges for supporters to take part in to raise money while adhering to social distancing measures.

This includes a ‘dechox’ to encourage people to give up chocolate throughout March.

“That means no chocolate bars, chocolate biscuits or hot chocolate for the month. By taking part you’ll help raise money for life saving research into heart and circulatory diseases,” said the charity.

Other initiatives include the ‘my step challenge’ which offers fundraisers the chance to take part in fitness challenges designed by the charity’s specialist nurse team.

The setting of up of ‘virtual collections’ via JustGiving is also being encouraged.

“Use your fundraising page to tell people about why you're supporting our cause and add any pictures that help tell your story. We’re all more likely to donate to causes we know our friends and family are passionate about,” the charity added.

The BHF has streamlined its senior team as it looks to recover from a 50% income fall amid the pandemic. This has seen its directorates reduced from eight to six and three senior executives leave.

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