Need for tweed: the riding Ruperts raising record funds in style
Celebrating how the Ride of the Ruperts brings bikers together to support young wheelchair users
Wheels for wheels. These three words sum up the ethos driving one of Whizz Kidz’s most successful fundraisers. Steve 'Stefano' Morrell's wheels are the bespoke, beautifully crafted, much-loved motorbikes that take on the Ride of the Ruperts each year. This charity run, in turn, raises money for Whizz Kidz’s wheels of choice. Those are on the tailor-made, precision-engineered, much-loved wheelchairs that young people whizz out of our clinics in.
It’s a fantastic rolling partnership that goes together like dry tarmac and warm tyres. Steve first supported Whizz Kidz in 1993, when he ran the New York Marathon for the then-newly-founded charity. But his true passion lies in two wheels ever since his motorcycle enthusiast father (now 91) bought a small trails bike for seven-year-old Steve. He’s never looked back, except presumably to check his blind spot when overtaking. So around five years ago, when coming to the end of a 30-year career in the police, it was Whizz Kidz who was lucky enough to be the beneficiary of his charitable biking brainchild - the Ride of the Ruperts.
It’s not just luck. “I saw the affinity between us motorcyclists wanting or needing a bespoke bike that fits our needs and disabled young people needing something similar. Of course, a wheelchair is FAR more important than a bike,” says Steve.

Steve Morrell leads out this year's record-breaking Ride of the Ruperts
The Ride of the Ruperts and the Hop Run
Assisted by a gang of biker enthusiast friends, Steve organises two motorcycle rides a year, the signature Ride of the Ruperts, which is in September in Sussex, and the Hop Run, which takes place in Kent in June. They’re open to every motorcyclist with one request: please wear tweed. This is linked to the name. A 'Rupert' is the slang term for an officer in the British Army who lacks common sense and is out of touch with reality. It’s used here affectionately as an excuse to dress up and have a ball on your bike.
The riders’ registration fees go straight to Whizz Kidz, and many raise additional funds from their friends and family. Along with other raffles, sponsorship, and initiatives from entrepreneurial Steve, the rides raised an impressive £43,000 for Whizz Kidz in 2024, bringing the overall charitable contributions from Ride of the Ruperts to Whizz Kidz to a magnificent £144,000! So far…

Whizz Kidz Senior Mobility Therapist, Sarah Wallace talks to supoporters as Steve looks on
The Winter Walk for Whizz Kidz
It fuels a lot of fun and fundraising for the riders. Starting from the Milk Churn in Horsham, the Ruperts head out in a group through several villages, where they’re greeted with cheers from spectators lining the route. The ride ends in a private party with a suitably loud band playing for free and some barbecued food.
There’s now a non-motorised event too. The Winter Walk for Whizz Kidz started when Covid lockdown restrictions were lifted, and spirits are guaranteed to be raised every January. “It's something I would like to see picked up and taken on nationally by some willing Whizz Kidz fundraisers,” says Steve.
One of my proudest moments was seeing six children receive their wheelchairs at a Whizz Kidz clinic
Steve Morrell, founder and organiser, the Ride of the Ruperts
Many miles have been ridden and walked by hundreds of supporters. So what’s been the greatest moment yet, we asked? Besides realising he could stand up in front of supporters and tell them that they’d broken fundraising records this year, Steve says, “One of my proudest moments was seeing six children receive their wheelchairs at a Whizz Kidz clinic.”
In addition to hundreds of suave riders with a penchant for tweed, Ride of the Ruperts attracts many sponsors and partners to our shared cause. Some are local to the ride, and some are motorbike-related businesses, including bike dealers, a Harley Davidson tour company, accessory retailers, and a female-focused motorcycle clothing brand, to name just a few.

What's next for the Ruperts?
So what’s next for the Ride of the Ruperts? Steve wants to keep breaking his fundraising records. “I stay with Whizz Kidz because I feel 100% supported by you guys.” And if time allows, he’d love “more Ride of the Ruperts, taking place in other parts of the UK.”
In the meantime, we look forward to seeing more beautiful motorbikes ridden through picturesque English counties for young wheelchair users. This is feel-good fundraising that we’re so proud to cheer on, and the difference it makes to our community is huge.

Join the Winter Walk for Whizz Kidz 2025!
This is what the Ruperts do when they're not riding and they'd love to have you join in. No motorbike is required for this 10k walk for young wheelchair users, that you can complete at any time in January. Get the full details from the Winter Walk Just Giving Page and sign up today!