One bike. One camera. 400 km. A story about money and trust.

In September, I’m cycling around 400 km from the site of the world’s first ATM in Enfield to Paris — solo, unsupported, carrying everything I need and camping along the way.

And I’m going to film the journey to make a documentary.

Because this isn’t a story about cycling. And it isn’t just about ATMs.

It’s a story about trust.

In 1967, the world’s first ATM was installed in Enfield. Today, we put a card into a machine, enter four numbers and expect money to appear.

We trust the machine. We trust our bank. We trust the banknote it gives us. And we trust an enormous system behind it that most of us never see.

Which raises a much bigger question:

Why do we trust money?

For centuries, we’ve kept reinventing it.

A piece of wood could record a debt. Coins carried the authority of a sovereign. Banknotes became promises to pay. ATMs connected us to money held somewhere else. And today, increasingly, money is simply numbers moving between computers.

The technology changes. The trust remains.

I’ll use the journey from Enfield to Paris to explore that story — meeting people along the way and looking at how we got from tally sticks to ATMs, and where money might go next.

And I’m doing it to raise £10,000 for StepChange Debt Charity.

Because ultimately money isn’t about technology or banking. It’s about people — and when finances go wrong, the consequences can be profound.

But this is also an ATM challenge…

I’m starting at the world’s first ATM, so I’m going to count every ATM I find between Enfield and Paris.

And I’d like you to guess the final number.

Choose an amount for every ATM you think I’ll find — 50p, £1, £2 or whatever you like — multiply it by your prediction and make your donation today.

So if you predict 100 ATMs at 50p each, donate £50 and put “100” in your donation message.

I’ll keep the ATM count running throughout the journey.

The bike ride creates the adventure.

The ATM count gives you something to follow.

The documentary tells the bigger story.

And every donation supports StepChange.

Trust in money is easy to take for granted until it's lost. For many people, debt affects far more than finances, impacting confidence, wellbeing and everyday life.

By donating, you'll help StepChange provide free debt advice and support, helping people regain control of their finances and rebuild trust in their future. You'll also support the charity's work to drive positive change and improve financial resilience across the UK.

And when it’s all over, the documentary will be my thank-you to everyone who supported the journey and helped changed financial lives through Step Change.

So, one final question:

How many ATMs will I find?