Saturday 26th September 4am

Background

Children from the most challenging backgrounds shouldn't have their potential cut short before their lives have even really begun. COVID-19 is set to have an impact on the literacy of many children living in difficult circumstances. School closures will only widen the attainment gap suffered by disadvantaged children, who are already twice as likely to leave school with lower grades in English and Maths than their better off classmates.The National Literacy Trust urgently require funding at a local, national and strategic level to continue developing and delivering solutions to the immediate challenges facing children, families and schools. Schools will need tremendous levels of support to close the poverty attainment gap that will have widened after months of potential lost learning.

Help me close the gap.

#fitforlit

I was persuaded (thanks Max!!) after starting to work for the company on a technology transformation project that I ought to consider cycling from Liverpool Street to our offices at 80 Strand. I loved it some much I used the company's 'cycle to work' scheme to buy myself a folding bike to take on the train home - I never looked back. It's been great to arrive at work energised (the rain in England isn't always so fun though...) and I do miss the journey on the way home : it's been great for clearing your mind every day with getting some pedals miles!

 
The bike included a complimentary first service from the amazing Condor Cycles at Holborn in central London - only a very short trip from our former project office at 80 Strand. This service (whatever it is that they do :D :D ...) has been put on hold during COVID-19 and I decided over the summer that I should have a go at cycling the whole journey once the cycle shop safely re-opened their service department. I've spent months before COVID-19 taking the route by train - so time to do it differently! I've figured that this is a big deal for me personally (my previous long journey was London to my home town of Brighton) : a bike ride of 55 miles with my Dad for the British Heart Foundation.

 
Having decided on this new journey, I figured that it must merit some fundraising at the same time. By coincidence, Penguin Random House currently have a campaign to match any funds raised by employees to the National Literacy Trust - perfect. This meant cycling from home near Colchester to our former project office in London at 80 Strand - not far from the cycle shop. 

I wasn't content with this challenge.

I figured I might raise more funds by cycling between 2 PRH offices (even if one is now a former office) - and I was thinking that not many employees may have attempted this kind of journey (for good reason...) : this means starting the ride further back from my home and starting at my local PRH office in Frating (totally the other side of Colchester and further from London). I'm still planning my risk assessment and choosing the most safest route but the journey will be roughly 70+ miles (112+ km). It also gives the opportunity for one last commute from Frating/Colchester to 80 Strand before we begin to ramp up at the new office locations around the corner.

This to the regular cycling enthusiast might not seem so daunting - but I'll be performing this on a folding bike. The wheels can be described as compact - this can lead to a firmer ride: I'm also 6' 6" (that's about 2 metres) and this can often get a second look...mostly inquisitive minds: "that tall man has got funny wheels". The seat on any bike can be a challenge for most cyclists with a short-ish jaunt at the weekend - but this one on a folding bike might be a totally different saddle story - you'll be able to tell with the way I walk afterwards!

Please help me close the gap.