Campaign in honour of tragic cyclist raises £6000

A CAMPAIGN to promote safer cycling following the death of a city bike enthusiast has raised more than £6000 in just over two weeks.

Charity fundraiser Lynne McNicoll launched the campaign earlier this month after her stepson Andrew McNicoll, 43, was killed in a crash on Lanark Road as he cycled to work.

Andrew’s family vowed to bring something positive from Andrew’s tragic death as it launched a website – www.andrewcyclist.com – in his name so it could gather donations to invest in a campaign for safer cycling.

A total of £5000 has been donated to the campaign by Balfour Beatty, where keen cyclist Andrew worked as an insurance officer, and a further £1100 through online donations.

The family has also signed up for the Leith Dragon Boat Race in June and is looking for a team of 20 to take part.

Lynne, 55, who lives in Craiglockhart, said: “We are delighted and really grateful to everybody who has contributed to the campaign. It was incredibly kind of Balfour Beatty to give us £5000.

“We have got a boat in the Leith Dragon Boat Race and already we are getting offers of, ‘I’ll do it’. I don’t do water but I will cheer everybody on.

“A friend of mine told me about the boat race and I just thought it would be a fantastic thing to be part of.

“Given Andrew was very physical, physical challenges seem like a good idea [for the campaign]. I think he would’ve considered rowing and would’ve thought the race would be fun.”

A group of Andrew’s lifelong friends from Balerno are planning to take part in Pedal for Scotland in September – a 47-mile cycle from Glasgow to Edinburgh – to raise further funds for the campaign.

The family is in the process of setting up a charitable trust in Andrew’s name and plans to talk to cycling experts before deciding how to invest donations.

Lynne said: “The aim is to work with experts on improving cycle safety in Edinburgh. We hope to speak to groups like Spokes.”

Lynne said the family, including Andrew’s partner Donna, who he lived with in Balerno, and his father Ian, who set up the It’s Good 2 Give! charity with Lynne, was taking things “one day at a time”.

“While we are keen to keep going with the campaign, I think the loss hits you hard in the weeks after it, so we have slowed down a little bit,” she said. “It’s just been harder than we ever thought.

“It is a big loss and a huge gap in our lives. We miss his smiling face.

“We will do Andrew proud.”