West Lothian cyclist shares his epic Age Scotland fundraising journey

Davie Scholtes has more of an insight into the lives of older people in Scotland than most 24-year-olds. Growing up in East Calder, he was very close to his grandparents and has worked as a carer, looking after older people in their homes.

“It was the most rewarding job I’ve had so far. I got to meet great characters, had memorable laughs and made some amazing connections with them. I could also see how hard it can be, the difficulties older people face and how much support they need,” he says.

“I also saw how small things can make a big difference. I saw the joy and pleasure the older people got from being together at an event. I know some of them were lonely but meeting up with others made them feel good.”

Last year Davie’s last two grandparents passed away. Other older relatives and some of the older people he cared for died too. “These losses affected my mental health a fair bit,” he says. “After some inspiration from other fundraisers, and sports people last summer I took up cycling and haven’t looked back.”

Davie decided to take on an individual  fundraising challenge for Age Scotland, to support the work the Scottish charity for older people does across the country, and to honour the lives of his grandparents.

“I wanted to give something back and do something for Age Scotland for the work they do for the older community. Older people are struggling even more just now, often having to choose between heating their house or eating hot food. Even now the temperatures can be cold enough to put older people at risk,” he says.

Davie’s fundraising adventure saw him cycle almost 290 miles from Edinburgh to Manchester, a gruelling journey that took him three days. His route took him through the Lake District where he encountered “very steep climbs and incredible views” – and a puncture.

“I got help from an older farmer, who helped me fix it. He helped me because I told him I was raising money for Age Scotland, which was really heartwarming,” he says.

Davie also faced some wet and windy weather and admitted that at times he felt like giving up. “But I pushed through because of why I was doing it. Every time someone donated it pushed me to keep going. I didn’t want to let them down,” he says.   

At the finish line he was greeted by family in Manchester who laid on a small celebration. Full of adrenaline and fuelled by caffeine, Davie said he was buzzing to have got the job done. “I definitely enjoyed it,” he says.

He’s also caught the fundraising bug. Next up, he’s planning to cycle the NC500 in the north of Scotland.

For Davie, cycling has helped him to help older people. “Cycling helped me overcome a lot of my struggles and has been my happy place,” he says. “Supporting older people means a lot to me and this event is in memory of the important older people in my life. Rest in peace Margaret, Ingrid, Ziggy, Rosa, James, André, Keith, Evelyn, Ken, John, Margaret, Jimmy.”

Fundraiser by Davie Scholtes : James, Margaret, Ingrid, Keith, Ziggy, Rosa