Regenerate is a great charity that helps disadvantaged young people in London. It’s a pleasure to be riding and raising funds for such an initiative that really gives people hope, positive role models and mentorship programmes as well as trips abroad to help others in tough environments and situations. 

 If someone asked me to run the London marathon, I’d laugh, because I m not a runner. I hated cross country at school and often took the shortcuts!
But when my friend James Taylor mention that he was doing this crazy cycle  ride from London to Africa, it caught my imagination.
I messaged my cousin Stu Jackson who is a proper cyclist to ask him if I was crazy, he said that by the time I got to Spain I’d be fit! 😳😂
Given that he didn’t immediately write off my chances, I thought I d give it a go!
I ve mountain bike a bit and did the London to Brighton cycle ride getting up Beacons (without getting off) fairly easily......but that was one day, 56 miles and I was 28 years old!
This is slightly harder being 1300 miles, 75 miles a day for about 20 days and I’m a few years older now!
We are going to have to peddle through wind and rain across Europe including going over the Pyrenees! 😳🙈

Andy who runs Regenerate is a great guy who I’ve know for probably 25 years. He has always been someone who has had big dreams and makes them happen too. He has a big heart to help people - a contagious positivity, enthusiasm and passion for what he does - and I want to use this opportunity to get behind what he is doing.  
He has developed Regenerate from a random idea he had as a student on the Alton Estate in Roehampton in the 90s to something that has made a huge difference in the community to children, families and older people.  
While he first moved to the estate back in 96, Andy began to see and hear about some of the negative things that went on in the community where he lived.  He heard about older people that had not been out of their homes for over 20 years and were living in isolation and fear. He saw kids riding stolen mopeds around the estate, cars and houses getting burnt out, drugs available all over the place and people getting robbed on the street.
In January 2000, he formed Regenerate, organising a lunch club for the older people in the area. He rented a church hall and employed a cook and within a few weeks he had 100 regular members. Older people that had been isolated before hand.
Regenerate then started developing other projects for young people and children, such as, football clubs, dance and homework clubs, minibus trips out of London, a Juice Bar drop-in youth centre, a music studio, mentoring schemes and trips for young people to volunteer in developing countries.
In 2006 Regenerate RISE was established as a separate charity to focus on developing the work with the elderly.
Now this charity does some outstanding work with underprivileged people around the world. They are a charity that definitely punch above their weight.
When I heard about the trip, it caught my imagination, and the opportunity to take on the challenge and support this charity inspired me.
This is a serious physical endurance challenge for me, but an opportunity of a life time that I couldn't turn down.  
This isn't some huge professional team tour. Just a select bunch of Regenerate volunteers and supporters who want to have a life changing adventure together, overcome massive hurdles, grow in our self-belief, broaden horizons, and hopefully raise lots of money to support young people here in London as together we seek to make a difference in the world.

I d love your support on the ride and any donations for this great charity are greatly appreciated.
Many thanks in advance and prayers appreciated.

Andi