Clarity Insights - Palace to Palace Returns for 2022

In late September this year, five members of the Clarity team dusted off their bikes and lined up beneath Admiralty Arch near our office in Central London. The forthcoming bike ride would be 47 miles long and span from Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle. It started in heavy traffic and continued onto rolling hills, and lost riders (me). It cumulated in five pairs of very sore legs and five very thirsty individuals. But it was in the name of charity, and the team raised almost £6,000 for the Prince’s Trust in the process.

We started on the iconic red tarmac of the Mall, facing the splendour of Buckingham Palace, feeling naively confident in our cycling abilities. The first ten miles did little to humble us; our bikes made light work of London’s flat riverside roads, even if stopping every two hundred meters for traffic became mildly frustrating. Before long, however, we reached Richmond Hill, the first (albeit minor) hill along our route. While rewarded with a pit stop at the top, the route thereafter became increasingly challenging with every mile that passed. The mayhem of the metropolis was replaced with hills which, at the time, seemed Himalayan. It was during one such incline that I, quite innocently, zigged where I should have zagged and inadvertently took a shortcut, finding myself several miles in front of the pack. Having then cycled the opposite way back along the correct route to meet my colleagues, we set off in staggered departures for the final 10-mile stretch. Before long, we all arrived safely in Windsor to the sight and smell of Watches of Switzerland’s freshly grilled hotdogs, a welcome gift from the official sponsors of the event.

Our antics were not without good cause – we were raising money for the Prince’s Trust, a charity founded by His Majesty King Charles III (whose stewardship now passes to Prince William) to help vulnerable young people get their lives on track. It supports 11 to 30-year-olds who are unemployed and those struggling at school and at risk of exclusion. The charity has helped over 1,000,000 young people to date and supports over a hundred more each day. If you haven’t had the opportunity to donate yet, our fundraising page is still up and can be found at this link. We all had a fantastic time taking part in this wonderful event and look forward to participating again next year.