THE legacy of a Scots missionary who grew up in Tarbet and worked in Helensburgh is to be remembered through a virtual cycling fund-raiser this summer.
The Mamie Martin Fund (MMF) is organising the Story on Bikes initiative between now and August 17 to raise money which will go towards supporting girls' education in Malawi.
Mamie Telford grew up in the Manse in Tarbet from 1897 and later worked as a teacher in Helensburgh.
In 1921 she married, becoming Mamie Martin, and went to Malawi with her Church of Scotland missionary husband Jack where she helped girls and women to complete their education.
Mamie died in 1928, and daughter Margaret carried on her mother's work by setting up the charitable fund in 1993; this year, 2019-20, the MMF is paying the fees of 138 girls across six schools in north Malawi.
After the coronavirus outbreak put paid to plans for a cycle from Blantyre, the birthplace of fellow missionary David Livingstone, to various places throughout Scotland which are important to Mamie's story, organisers are now hoping members of the public can use their daily exercise to join in the fun.
Moira Dunworth, co-convener of the MMF, said: "The Mamie Martin Fund invites you to cycle with them while staying home and not visiting rural communities.
"The virtual route is from the birthplace of David Livingstone in Blantyre to Tarbet, the home of Mamie Martin in whose name MMF supports girls’ education in north Malawi.
"That distance is 47 miles and stay-at-home riders can do that distance in any number of stages, anytime and anywhere that fits with their situations.
"This is not a race or endurance test. It is a bit of fun to raise the profile of the Mamie Martin Fund.
"Mamie would be so happy to know that connections between Scotland and Malawi are still so strong and that her conviction about the necessity of educating girls is now widely accepted as true around the world.
"She realised how important girls’ education was and she was ahead of her time."
READ MORE: Cardross church launches £20,000 fund-raiser to help it through coronavirus crisis
The fund-raiser has a target of £10,000 and you can donate by searching for 'Story on Bikes 2020' on Virgin Money Giving.
To take part in the virtual cycling effort register free on Eventbrite, receive your free fair-wear T-shirt, cycle when and where you wish to add up the miles and log your rides on social media.
Organisers hope to be able to stop for a picnic in the Manse garden, with permission of the present owner, Bernadette Rainey, in August, if public health guidelines allow.
READ MORE: Catch up with all the latest news headlines from across Helensburgh and Lomond here
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