Dekra employees complete Blue Ninja Challenge in memory of very special boy

A team of 30 employees from health and safety specialists, Dekra, have taken on the Blue Ninja Challenge for the third year in a row, in memory of a very special little boy.

Every year since 2017, employees from Dekra have committed to completing a bike ride around the entirety of the Isle of Wight, to raise money for Naomi House & Jacksplace, in memory of Phelan.  Phelan Jordan, otherwise known by friends and family as the ‘Blue Ninja’, is the son of Dekra employee, George Jordan. He had a rare form of childhood cancer (a neuroblastoma) and devastatingly, in September 2017, Phelan succumbed to his condition, just a few days after his fifth birthday. Throughout his treatment and particularly during the last weeks of his life, the Jordan family were assisted and supported by Naomi House.

This year, just before the Blue Ninja Challenge event was set to go ahead, the ‘rule of 6’ came into place. So, the team decided to do separate, smaller group rides instead. The individual challenges included:

• Andy Jennings, Kamran Arif, Mark Goodship, Andy Hill, John McCormack and Steve Rowe competed a 65+ mile loop around the South Downs and Test Valley. They also called in to Naomi House!
• Richard, Robert and Vicki Ball, together with Andrew and Jane Giles (on a tandem!) rode 65 miles around the Meon Valley and South Downs.
• Sharon Merredew, Su Banwell and Ruth Loader rode 66 miles around the New Forest.
• Mark Walker rode 61 miles with friends in the rain around York (attempting a “Strava-art heart”, apparently!)
• Giles Davies did a 70 mile ride around The Cotswolds.
• Matt Mead did a 69 mile ride around the New Forest.
• Richard Anderson rode a 75 mile loop across the South Downs, to Basingstoke and back, through Winchester and Romsey.

Steve Rowe, Managing Director at Dekra and long term friend and supporter of Naomi House & Jacksplace, said:

“Coronavirus has hugely impacted life in 2020 but for most of us. This will (hopefully) soon be a distant memory that stopped us doing a few things for a little while. Our Blue Ninja Challenge is a very personal story of the impact of a life limiting condition on a very brave and handsome young man, Phelan Jordan. It touched everyone who works with George (Phelan’s Dad).

"This event is so poignant to us – we have a core of riders who have ridden every year that want to do their bit. Even riding separately in adverse weather, we managed to fulfil our aim and support Naomi House & Jacksplace, so they can keep doing their amazing work under the most difficult of circumstances."

Suzie Simmons, Head of Regional and Corporate Fundraising at Naomi House & Jacksplace, added:

“As ever, we are so unbelievably grateful for the ongoing support of the Blue Ninjas. You are all superstars and the fact you come back year after year to raise valuable funds is amazing. Obviously, this year, things had to be done slightly differently, but you managed to pull it off with incredible commitment from everybody and were still there to support us, so thank you so much from all of us here at the hospices.”

If you’d like to sponsor the team for their incredible challenges, you can still do so on their Virgin Money Giving fundraising page, by clicking here. Thank you.