UK, 14 May – Twenty MapAction volunteers, friends and supporters are cycling between the Paris and Greenwich Meridians to raise funds for the charity.
The group will leave Paris on 24 June heading west along the route of the Seine before turning north to Dieppe to catch the ferry to Newhaven. Then the route will closely follow the Greenwich Meridian northwards through the fine scenery of the Kent and Sussex Weald before arriving at the beautiful Greenwich Observatory for a celebration.
The Paris Meridian dates from 1634 and was in competition with the Greenwich Meridian until 1884 when Greenwich won at an international conference – although to this day some French cartographers continue to use the Paris Meridian.The competition between the Meridians was highlighted in Jules Verne’s ‘Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea’.
One of the cyclists, Matthew Sims, said: “We’re mappers so we thought the idea of celebrating the two meridians would be nice. But really the aim is to raise as much money as we can for MapAction to help the victims of disasters all around the world. We’d love as many people as can to sponsor us. Every pound will help.”
Sponsors can sign up with a few clicks at Virgin Money Giving, and UK taxpayers’ donations will have Gift Aid added. Visit: MapAction Midsummer Meridian.