Despite how the folks on the TV like to brand us, we motorcyclists are a great bunch always willing to help out. Angela Richardson is one of those great Kiwi motorcyclists who has combined their love of riding with raising funds for a good cause. In Angela’s case that’s raising money for victims of domestic abuse through the Sisterhood Domestic Violence Ride.

The fundraising ride was started last year by Angela who, through her work as a stylist, started hearing more about the problems some Kiwi women face in the day to day. Not one to sit back and ignore other people’s problems, Angela stood up and decided to do something about it.

“Through [my job] and through friends I’ve connected a bit more with women and have just been listening to their stories and issues, says Angela. “That’s what got me interested in their stories and I just started to realise that abuse, and domestic abuse is really common, it doesn’t matter where you are. The more it happens the more normalised it gets and it’s really horrible to see.”

This year the ride, which takes place on the 26th of February, starts with riders arriving at Smales Farm in Takapuna at 9am with the coastal ride commencing roughly half an hour later.

“So what happens is everyone turns up at about 9 o’clock, and we have a chitchat and greet everybody. Then we have our ride and then after the ride everyone kinda comes and has a coffee and settle in, and we get ready for a charity auction.”

The auction is just one of the ways the ride raises funds for their chosen charity – Family Action in West Auckland. It takes a $20 donation to join in on the roughly two-hour ride which takes in some of Auckland’s best biking roads. This money doesn’t go to helpers who will be there to ensure people don’t get lost, but instead all proceeds go straight to Family Action.

“During the charity auction, we’ve got a really amazing auctioneer, and she’s a survivor, she’s come out of an abusive relationship and she does a little bit of a talk about what she’s been through. We’ve got another speaker who does a talk too, and she’s from the centre that we’re raising money for.”

Last year 75 riders showed up to the event, and judging by the interest online this year could be even bigger.

For full details on the ride, check out the event page on Facebook.

The Ride

The ride route takes in some of Northern Auckland’s best riding roads and is expected to take roughly two-hours to complete. The ride starts in Takapuna at the Columbus Coffee in Smales Farm, then heads to the Coatsville-Riverhead Highway and onto State Highway 16. Passing through Kaukapakapa, the ride moves back to the East Coast via Woodcocks Road, then heads south to Puhoi on State Highway 1, before turning off at Waiwera for the “fun way home”.