A fundraising challenge to ride and run from Surrey to the Somerset coast in 4 days for charities Greenhouse Sports and War Child

Why Pursuit of Spring?

In Easter 1913 poet Edward Thomas rode by bike from his home in London to the coast of Somerset in search of hope and to meet the first signs of spring after a particularly gloomy winter, worsened by the gathering storm-clouds of the Great War.

His book ‘In Pursuit of Spring’ is the chronicle of that journey.

This challenge will pay homage to his route and his pursuit of spring and hope, after another stark winter with a deepening cost of living crisis in the UK and the horrors of conflict in Europe and Gaza destroying lives, particularly of children.

I'm raising funds for two fantastic organisations that mean a lot to me and pursue hope and opportunity in their purpose.

It will be 5 years since I began working with Greenhouse Sports and it's about time I gave back. Greenhouse believes every child deserves a fair chance to succeed in life. Greenhouse partners with schools in deprived areas of the UK providing fulltime inspirational sports coaches and mentors for children who may be disengaged to develop key life skills that help them thrive.

War Child is the only specialist charity for children affected by conflict, driven by a single goal - ensuring a safe future for every child living through conflict and war. I’ve always admired WarChild’s aims and mission and activity, from the moment I knew of and bought ‘Help’, the first War Child album in 1995, released to support children caught up in the Balkans war.

The schools our Greenhouse coaches work in (in the some of the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods and communities in the UK), are seeing and educating more and more refugee children escaping conflict and not knowing when they will see their home again. Happily some have even been through Greenhouse programmes and are now thriving at school and beyond.

£1000 will provide 20 Greenhouse Breakfast Club group coaching sessions - A crucial line of support getting 100s of vulnerable children into a safe space, energised and ready for school. Fun, organised exercise at the start of the day lifts children's physical and mental health, improves behaviour and boosts their capacity to learn. £5000 will deliver 100!

£1000 allows War Child to feed 40 families who have fled with nothing for a week.

£1000 could provide support for 16 families caught up in conflict with all their basic needs for two months, including food and blankets.

Thank you so much supporting me. Having known been close enough to see a year-group of children go through secondary school with a Greenhouse Coach at their shoulder - the impact is transformational on the child but extends without question to their family, the school, the community, society and our country.

https://www.greenhousesports.org/

#TeamforLife

https://www.warchild.org.uk/

#ceasefirenow

My Supporters

Massive thanks to Will and the team at the brilliant Active England and Matt at Tilbury Farm for their fantastic support.

https://activeenglandtours.com/

https://www.tilburyfarm.co.uk/

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.