Manager cycles 400 miles to raise much-needed cash!

Eastern Angles' General Manager Matthew Linley has swapped his familiar flat cap for a cycling helmet and is biking 400 miles across East Anglia in order to raise money for the theatre company.

His route will cover 40 Eastern Angles venues across East Anglia and he will eventually arrive in Peterborough on the 2^nd of July.

Last year saw Eastern Angles celebrate 30 years of rural touring and Matthew's route will include visiting towns and villages across Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex that have hosted one of the company's 100 previous productions. He will be meeting promoters and supporters of the company along the way in order to capture their stories. Matthew's fundraising target is £2,000.

Matthew Linley said: "I'm looking forward to cycling through East Anglia - discovering the places that have inspired the company's theatre- making for the last thirty years and meeting some of our audiences on route. It's a great opportunity, too, to raise much needed funds."

Antonia Byatt, Director, South East, Arts Council England, said: "Eastern Angles already has an impressive footprint, bringing challenging and exciting theatre with a sense of place to rural and other communities across the East of England. Following their Arts Council Catalyst award of £120k, this is just one of the innovative ways in which they are seeking to raise £100k of match funds. We're delighted that Matthew's cycle ride will help to catch the stories and views of local audiences as well as raising funds."

You can sponsor ‘The Eastern Angles Hairy Biker' by visiting https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/thehairybiker and if you live in one of the villages he will be passing through and have a great Eastern Angles tale to tell please get in touch with the office on 01473 218202.