Sir Chris Hoy has teamed up with Scottish charity Social Bite to help raise £1m for the construction of two purpose-built villages to house people experiencing homelessness – and he wants you to get on your bike and join the campaign.
The Olympic hero is set to lead 1,000 cyclists on a fundraising ride from Glasgow to Edinburgh for the Break The Cycle event, which aims to raise £1 million.
“I have seen the impact of the funds raised and I am passionate about supporting the bold approach to breaking the cycle of homelessness,” said Hoy.
“I know times have been incredibly tough of late but I’d encourage everyone to get involved and help raise the funds needed for this extraordinary project.”
Each participant will be asked to pledge to raise £1,000 before they take on the 60-mile challenge on September 5.
Advertisement
Advertisement
It will set off from the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow and finish near the flagship Social Bite Village in Granton, Edinburgh.
The cyclists involved will have the opportunity to win a range of prizes, including the naming of one of the homes in the new villages, which are planned for Glasgow and London.
Since the first Social Bite Village launched in 2018, the charity has been able to support and provide accommodation for 39 residents, helping many go on to find a permanent home.
Sir Chris Hoy is no stranger to Social Bite and has been involved regularly in the charity’s Sleep in The Park event, which has seen more than 18,000 people sleeping outside.
The founder of Social Bite, Josh Littlejohn said: “Sir Chris has been an advocate of the work we do for some time and when we came up with the Break the Cycle concept, we knew there was only one person we wanted to partner with.”
Littlejohn said that due to the success of the Granton village, the “ambition is to build more”.
left to right) Sir Chis Hoy MBE joins Josh Littlejohn, co-founder of Social Bite, at the charity's first village project in Edinburgh, to launch Break the Cycle, which is a 60-mile bike ride that’s been set up to fundraise £1m to help build a further two villages projects for people experiencing homelessness in target cities of Glasgow and London. PA Photo. Picture date: Wednesday March 10, 2021.
The event will take place on Sunday September 5, with Sir Chris joining 1,000 cyclists as they travel from Glasgow to Edinburgh, with each participant required to raise £1,000 in order to take part. The fundraising campaign will also be open to people right across the UK, encouraging them to take part in sponsored virtual challenges in the run up to the bike ride later this year.
Photo credit should read: Euan Cherry/PA Wire
Break the cycle, Edinburgh, Scotland, 10/03/21
left to right) Sir Chis Hoy MBE joins Josh Littlejohn, co-founder of Social Bite, at the charity's first village project in Edinburgh, to launch Break the Cycle, which is a 60-mile bike ride that’s been set up to fundraise £1m to help build a further two villages projects for people experiencing homelessness in target cities of Glasgow and London. PA Photo. Picture date: Wednesday March 10, 2021.
The event will take place on Sunday September 5, with Sir Chris joining 1,000 cyclists as they travel from Glasgow to Edinburgh, with each participant required to raise £1,000 in order to take part. The fundraising campaign will also be open to people right across the UK, encouraging them to take part in sponsored virtual challenges in the run up to the bike ride later this year.
Photo credit should read: Euan Cherry/PA Wire
He added: “The money that we manage to raise from this fundraising campaign will allow these plans to become a reality and enable us to develop communities that will have a transformative impact on people’s lives.”
For those that don’t fancy the long cycle, Break The Cycle is also open to anyone to get involved virtually, whether it be a 60-mile cycle or 60 minutes of exercise.
Families, friends, school pupils and the workplace are all encouraged to pick a challenge and get sponsored.
Ten percent of the funds raised will be donated to SAMH (the Scottish Association for Mental Health).
Sir Chris Hoy said: “I look forward to seeing those taking part at the starting line.”
This Christmas, 3.8 million people across the UK will be facing extreme poverty. Thousands of those struggling will turn to selling the Big Issue as a vital source of income - they need your support to earn and lift themselves out of poverty.
