THE 1975 bassist Ross MacDonald and PVRIS bassist Brian MacDonald have successfully completed their epic 1,180-mile cycling challenge, riding from Land’s End to John O’ Groats (‘LEJOG’), raising over £32,000 and counting for music therapy charity, Nordoff and Robbins.
This amount, which includes Gift Aid, could fund 400 music therapy sessions or go towards training the music therapists of the future, which costs Nordoff and Robbins £19,000 per therapist.
There is still time to celebrate this monumental achievement and help them raise even more money by donating at bit.ly/NR-ride until Thursday, 30 April.
Alongside friends Darren and Matt, Ross and Brian cycled the iconic LEJOG route from the most westerly point of mainland England to the northernmost point of mainland Scotland over two weeks, covering distances of up to 100 miles a day and climbing 23,218m over the course of the ride, which is the equivalent of 2.6 Mount Everest summits.
On the way, the four friends battled scorching sun, rain, hailstones, high winds, gruelling hills, broken bikes, aching limbs and injuries across this once-in-a-lifetime ride, all in the name of music therapy. Encouraging each other through highs and lows, the goal of supporting Nordoff and Robbins’ life-changing music therapy services kept them going to the very end.
The full extraordinary journey has been documented over at: @nordoffrobbins on Instagram.
Ross MacDonald said:
“What an experience! I think it will take a little while to really sink in as there isn’t much time to process what’s going on whilst you’re in the middle of it… My body isn’t entirely convinced that I don’t have to get on a bike again yet, but I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve managed to do. There were some dark moments that pushed me beyond the limit of what I thought I was mentally and physically capable of, and some tremendous, euphoric moments of sheer joy. To do that with three close friends was an honour. And to do it whilst raising money for Nordoff and Robbins is such a privilege. I can’t believe how much money we’ve been able to raise and how many people will benefit from it. They do such amazing work, and I firmly believe music therapy has a vital and incredible impact on those in need. Please keep donating if you haven’t already!”
Brian MacDonald said:
“When Ross first came to me with this idea, I had no clue what to expect, but I knew it would be something truly special. After visiting the Nordoff and Robbins centre in London to meet Ruby, take part in a music therapy session and see for myself how much music therapy helped her, I was 100% convinced. It was so, so tough, but now I can look back fondly on this brilliant adventure and feel a great sense of pride in what we did and the charity we did it for. The thoughtful messages kept us going through some tough times on the road, and the donations will go a long way in helping Nordoff and Robbins support people across the UK through music therapy.”
Sandy Trappitt, Director of Fundraising, Nordoff and Robins, said:
“We can’t thank Ross, Brian, Darren and Matt enough for taking on this enormous challenge to help raise money for Nordoff and Robbins. Since The 1975 received Best Group at the O2 Silver Clef Awards in 2024, Ross and the band have been so supportive, and we’re so grateful to the four riders and everyone who has donated. The outpouring of kind words across their journey was inspirational for us all. The money raised will support us in training more music therapists and delivering more music therapy sessions, so that more people can benefit from music therapy now and in the future.”
Nordoff and Robbins is the UK’s largest music therapy charity, with a unique approach shaped by more than 60 years of practice. Through training music therapists, its work can be transformative, from an adult with dementia reconnecting with family to an autistic child finding their voice.
