Whiteley man to cycle 300 miles from London to Paris for homelessness charity Society of St James
A CYCLING challenge from London to Paris will see a Whiteley man pounding the pedals for 300 miles to help the homeless.
Sean Whelan will embark on an epic cycle between the two capital cities to provide extra support for homelessness charity Society of St James, which helps people in Portsmouth and Southampton.
This charity event - due to depart London on September 2 - is not the 55-year-old’s first foray into fundraising since he took up cycling four years ago.
Sean, managing director of Segensworth-based Whelan Pest Prevention, has completed the London to Brighton cycle three times, and this will be his third London to Paris effort for charity.
After a few false starts with this year’s fundraising, including a Lands’ End to John o’ Groats trip and another London to Paris date being postponed, Sean cannot wait to get on the road and raise some money for homeless people.
He said: ‘Being homeless is the very worst situation anyone can find themselves in. It is frightening and degrading, it causes significant harm to a person’s physical and mental health, it leaves people open to exploitation and abuse, but above all, homelessness is simply wrong.
‘It is shocking that at the moment in the UK thousands of people are without a permanent, safe home. Many people are living in temporary accommodation or overcrowded and unsuitable housing, others are sofa surfing with friends and family, and worst of all, hundreds of people are sleeping on the streets in cities all around the country.’
The Society of St James provides a range of supported living services across the county, helping people from all walks of life experiencing homelessness.
Sean said: ‘I feel so strongly about the plight of thousands of homeless I wanted to try and play my part to raise funds for the Society Of St James.
‘The support I have had to undertake this challenge has been immense and I am delighted to be raising funds for such a worthwhile charity.’
He added: ‘I think I’ve got enough in the tank to get me there but it’ll be a challenge. It’s going to be a tough one because obviously Covid-19 has changed everything.’
To donate, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/sean-whelan10