After a two-year absence, we’re making a return to the wheels for a new cycling adventure. Its one we’ve been considering for a while now – cycling from John O’Groats to Lands End. Fifteen days and 1100 miles this summer to test our fitness and endurance against the full length of Great Britain. Just like our last route, we will attempt to cycle without a support vehicle, carrying our belongings unsupported. For most of the Scottish section, we will camp along our route, before staying with family and friends who have kindly offered to assist us along the way.

Our chosen route will take in the barren Northwest Highlands before passing through Inverness and the Cairngorms to cross the Forth Road Bridge and arrive in Edinburgh. We will follow the coast towards Northumberland and Newcastle, before passing through Yorkshire and the Dales to reach Sheffield, hopefully on Foggy’s 21st birthday. The route cuts through the Midlands to reach Oxford, before we turn towards the West Country. The route concludes with a four day campaign through the steep hills and windy roads between Bristol and Lands End.

You can follow our progress on the 5hombres1000miles page on Instagram and facebook. This year, we have decided to support two charities, which you can read more about below. Any donation to either cause would mean a lot to us, and all support is greatly appreciated by the team.

We have chosen to support the Oxfordshire charity Helen and Douglas House, which provides hospice care for terminally ill children. The charity provides a peaceful and loving environment for sick children to flourish, and gives families with the invaluable opportunity to create memories. We The charity is renowned in the local Oxfordshire area for coming to the aid of families at a point of vulnerability and darkness, and offers them the chance to enjoy family time in a peace and comfort. The charity provides a community and support for families undergoing the trauma of terminal diagnoses for children.

We were particularly inspired by the work of Helen and Douglas House after watching a student play fundraising for their cause. The compassion and dedication they showed in a short acknowledgement speech gave the impression of a group who are deeply emotionally invested in their cause. We were struck by the positivity of their message and outlook, in spite of the difficult circumstances under which they operate. The community in Oxford has offered us so much hospitality in our short time there, and there are many faces and places in the city which bring back amazing memories. Raising funds for such an inspirational and valuable cause would give us a massive boost in the more difficult parts of our challenge. It allows us to give something back to the community which means so much to us.

Thank you for all your support!

Helen & Douglas House is a registered hospice charity (no. 1085951).