Ride to the Wall
Photos courtesy of Ride to the Wall
Streams of motorcycles can be seen along motorways leading to the Armed Forces Memorial as Ride to the Wall participants ‘remember those who can no longer ride by our side.’
In 2008 a small group of friends decided to ride motorcycles to the National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) in Staffordshire for a ceremony at the Armed Forces Memorial, its walls inscribed with the names of approximately 16,000 men or women who have lost their lives in conflicts or terrorist attacks since the Second World War. The only place in the country where these names are recorded.
Word spread and before long the small group had grown into 3,000 people. Numbers have steadily increased from year to year, with 15,000 attending in 2011. Founding trustee Kerim Hilmi commented, "I never in my wildest dreams thought that there would be such a huge & unprecedented response to an event that has now become firmly established in the motorcycling calendar, the Ride to the Wall.”
Newspaper, radio, and TV reporters are on-hand to cover the events, which in the past have included a parachute display from the British Army parachutists, a Spitfire flypast and a military band performance.
“People join us from all corners of UK, and also from Belgium France, Germany, and Spain. We are humbled by the reach and depth of the support we receive," says Hilmi. The money donated by each motorcyclist is dedicated to the upkeep of the Arboretum.
In 2013 RTTW were honoured with a Queens Award for Voluntary Service
Ride to the Wall originally joined Attend for the insurance benefits but have found that they have gained much more from their membership. “We’re members of Attend and proud to be so,” says Kerim Hilmi. “As a small charity with limited resources we value the support and advice we receive from Attend. We also get the best deal for insurance and all of the other perks that come with membership.”
Created 10th April 2012. Updated 2021
Ride to the Wall benefits from Attend membership, which includes comprehensive charity insurance cover. For more information, or to join, please click here.
