Welcome to EXPED 5050 - my personal eight year charity challenge!

50 unique ‘missions’ before I turn 50, with over 20 of these breaking down to create over 1,000 challenge tasks!

Over the last seven years, I’ve fundraised for several charities in personal challenges and collaborations with other organisations and have successfully raised in excess of £28,000!

2024 - SANDS OF SACRIFICE

This May, myself and a small team will be embarking on a remembrance ride to acknowledge the bravery and stoicism of my grandfather and others during WWII.

The ride will commence from Poole, and after a ferry crossing to Cherbourg, will broadly follow the coastline to the D-Day beaches, taking in over 100 memorials to pay our respects at, and visit other military points of interest. From there, we’ll ride northeast, and after approximately 700km, arrive at Dunkirk to mark the 84th anniversary at the town where my grandfather was captured by Nazi forces.

Significant points to be visited:

• All five D-Day beaches

• Gravestone of Private Johns, youngest paratrooper to be killed (16)

• Movements of Easy Company aka Band of Brothers

• The British Normandy Memorial

• Pegasus Bridge

• Operation Biting - Combined Operations raid location, Bruneval

• Dunkirk beaches on the anniversary date of my grandfather’s capture

My grandfather was a volunteer with the 5th Glosters during WWII and at the time of his capture was part of the British Expeditionary Force (B.E.F.). Their job was to hold the line against advancing Germans whilst Operation Dynamo and the large-scale evacuation took place from the beaches.

He was captured in a French orchard, just outside of Dunkirk on 28 May 1940, and spent nearly 5 years as an Allied Prisoner of War.

In 1945, when the Russians were advancing, the Germans deserted their posts and so all the POWs, including my grandfather started their long walk back home.

Despite his treatment and experiences, he never once complained of that time, and I hope I can highlight his bravery and that of others throughout the ride, whilst also raising some funds for some inspiring charities!

Thank you for all of your support!

Stu

My chosen charity - the SBS Association

The SBSA is a charity that provides an extended welfare system to its members. There are, sadly, a growing number of members and their dependants for whom, through physical or psychological injury, bereavement or adversity, the SBSA now has a responsibility. The SBSA fills a delta of need which, because of the special nature of the people they support, raises that support to a level of the very highest quality which is deemed to be appropriate. Your donations will make a tangible difference to the support given by the SBSA.