We are delighted that our dedicated supporter, Leon Hall (pictured above left), a Transport for London employee, has been recognised for his incredible efforts for charity with a British Empire Medal (BEM).
In fact, it was his London Underground colleague Steve Lloyd’s diagnosis with a glioblastoma that inspired Leon to set out on his ten-year fundraising campaign for a variety of causes. Steve was the manager of Ealing Common Tube Station until he had to take early retirement due to ill health.
Leon was one of the chief organisers of the District Line Cycle Challenge, which raised £30,000 for Brain Tumour Research. It saw five teams of riders, including Steve’s wife Angela, use London’s self-service Santander Cycles to cover 74 miles overground, taking in all 61 stations.
At the time, Leon said: “Through 22 years of service to the company and the travelling public, Steve has contributed so much to the Underground and London and is a well-loved character who left a positive impression on all those who worked with him. We don’t believe anyone has done an event quite like this before and we hope it will be a great tribute to Steve.”
Sadly, although he made it to the finish line at Tower Hill to see the five teams complete the 74-mile course, Steve (pictured above with Angela) died, just a month later, aged 40, leaving Angela and his two young daughters.
In Steve’s memory, Leon took on The One London Charity Cycle Challenge in 2016 and raised a further £30,000, which, combined with the total from the earlier cycle challenge, meant that the equivalent of almost 22 days of research was funded at our Centres of Excellence.
Ten years on from his original fundraising event, Leon said he was “overwhelmed” to hear that he had been named in the King’s New Year Honours list.
If you have been inspired by Leon, you can make a donation. However big or small, together we can make a difference.
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Published Friday 3rd January 2025