Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Many of you helped me exceed my fund raising target in 2016, and two years on from riding 270 miles for the Hope Centre from Northampton to Ypres in Belgium I am now going to do it in reverse on 6th September. The ride has been titled 'The Troops are Coming Home', being the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War, where so many did not make it home from Ypres where the ride begins.

The Hope Centre tackles poverty and homelessness in our area not by just providing handouts, but by providing practical support and skills to help people survive poverty and through offering training in life and practical skills with the aim to help people out of their situation and improving their employability. 

Along with other local construction related companies I helped in converting a disused council building into a centre for this training. The pictures below show the inside of the finished building, in particular the workshop where they learn practical skills by repairing garden tools which are then sold to raise more funds.

Since working on the building I have become more involved in the centre and sit on the Board of Hope Enterprises so I am fully aware of the commitment and dedication of all those invoved in the charity and what the monies raised are actually spent on.

The Centre also supports around 120 people every day providing hot meals, showers and clothing, giving them a place where they don't need to feel isolated and alone.  Liz and I on the ride in 2016 raised sufficient funds to run and cover the costs of the centre for one day. We'd love to do this again with your help. 

Most of the clients find themselves in this position through no fault of their own, often growing up in an abusive household or broken family environment which can lead to mental and physical health issues, or by losing their jobs/homes and having no-one else to turn to.

I have paid all the costs associated with the trip (accomodation, transport and food), so every penny donated will go straight to this important charity which is entirely reliant upon the support and generosity of the local community to keep their services available to those in need.

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.