Why I’m riding!

In four weeks I’m taking on the London to Brighton Off-Road—a 61-mile (100km) mountain bike route from Apps Court Farm, Walton-on-Thames to Hove Lawns. It’s fully signed and mixes forest tracks, bridleways, chalk and gravel, with 4,000 ft of climbing across the Surrey Hills and South Downs before dropping to the sea. It’s Europe’s biggest charity MTB event for good reason: it’s tough, stunning, and properly off-road.

I’m doing it for Evan.

Evan is a young boy who attends the same school as our eldest son and lives two streets away. He was recently diagnosed with a life changing condition affecting the families life forever.

Evan’s story (from his family):

“Here we are doing something we never thought we’d have to do. With huge embarrassment we’re asking for help…”

Until this year, Evan (7) and his sister Amelie were living a normal, happy life.

8 Feb 2025: at a laser-tag party, Evan’s left calf cramped so badly he had to stop. Leg cramps were “common” for him and previously put down to toe-walking associated with autism.

10–20 Feb: GP referral, blood tests, and an urgent call from out-of-hours—worryingly high muscle enzymes; straight to A&E.

20 Feb: a consultant examined Evan and told his parents he suspected Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)—a rare, progressive, life-limiting muscle-wasting condition.

25 Mar 2025: diagnosis confirmed at Evelina Children’s Hospital. Life changed overnight: weekly appointments, daily physio, night splints, training for crisis meds, and constant admin.

A recent home assessment delivered another blow: their new-build house can’t be adapted to keep Evan safe as his mobility declines. Evan will soon need a through-floor lift, wet room, ceiling-track hoist, power wheelchair and ventilator. Stairs are already unsafe; wheelchair use is expected within a couple of years.

Local properties that could be adapted are £500–600k. They can’t uproot from schools, medical teams, and support networks.

The family’s plan: secure a small local plot (cheapest currently ~£220k) and self-build a simple, fully accessible home using their equity plus a specialist mortgage—so Evan can have safety, dignity, and the best childhood they can give him.

Long-term, they want any surplus to seed a legacy fund to help other families facing the same housing gap.

Where your money goes

Every pound donated here will be transferred in one payment to Evan’s official family GoFundMe immediately after I complete the ride, to contribute to land purchase and essential accessible housing costs/equipment listed above.

Transparency: I’ll post a screenshot/receipt of the full transfer so you can see your impact.

Note: This is a personal fundraiser with a lump-sum pass-through to the family’s official page; if you prefer, you can donate directly to their page—both routes help Evan just the same.

Gift Aid: GoFundMe only applies Gift Aid on charity pages, not personal pass-throughs.

How you can help

Donate, if you can!

Share this page with friends, colleagues, and riding groups.

Message me if you can help with introductions around accessible housing, land, planning, or equipment suppliers.