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HOPE supporter Tom to take on 1,000 mile UK cycle ride in aid of street-connected children
Corsham based NHS worker Tom Frost is set to tackle the iconic Lands End to John O’Groats cycle ride later this summer, in aid of vulnerable street-connected children in Kolkata, India.
The 1,000 mile route – also known as LEJOG – will take 10 days to complete, and will see Tom cycling 100 miles a day, beginning in Lands End in Cornwall (the westerly most point of mainland England) and ending in John O’Groats in the northeast tip of Scotland.
By taking on the LEJOG challenge, Tom hopes to raise funds for The Hope Foundation, a charity dedicated to transforming the lives of vulnerable street-connected children and families in Kolkata, India.
Tom, who works for the NHS, will specifically be raising funds for HOPE’s healthcare programmes for marginalised communities, who would not otherwise have access to healthcare; this includes Hope Hospital, the Night Round ambulance – a primary healthcare provision – and a new mobile dental clinic.
Tom is also one of HOPE’s child sponsors and has been supporting the education of a young person in Kolkata for several years. He discovered a passion for India after spending a few months in the country when he was 24 and was later inspired to support HOPE after watching a travel programme featuring HOPE Patron and TV presenter Sue Perkins that showed the plight of street-connected children in Kolkata.
“Two months to go until the ride and I'm nervous and excited in equal measure. I’m reminding myself that I'm doing this for HOPE as well as myself, which is helping during those long training rides,” says Tom.
"I'm very privileged to be able to take on a challenge like this when children in India are faced with daily food, housing, education and health problems to overcome."
Tom has a fundraiser set up on Just Giving: https://www.justgiving.com/page/tom-frost-lejog
Ends
Notes to the editor
- Tom’s LEJOG route:
DAY 1: Lands End to Plymouth, 94 miles
DAY 2: Plymouth to Street, 97 miles
DAY 3: Street to Bewdley, 116 miles
DAY 4: Bewdley to Haydock, 103 miles
DAY 5: Haydock to Crosthwaite, 99 miles
DAY 6: Crosthwaite to Moffat, 93 miles
DAY 7: Moffat to Perth, 96 miles
DAY 8: Perth to Grantown-on-Spey, 95 miles
DAY 9: Grantown-on-Spey to Lairg, 92 miles
DAY 10: Lairg to John O’Groats, 95 miles
The Hope Foundation was founded in Ireland in 1999 by Maureen Forrest. Running more than 60 projects in areas including healthcare, education, vocational training and child protection, the NGO works to restore the basic human rights of children and families living on the streets and in the slums of Kolkata, India. The UK branch of the Hope Foundation was established in 2007.
Tom is raising funds for HOPE’s healthcare programmes. This includes Hope Hospital, which provides free treatment to communities who would otherwise have no access to healthcare services. In 2021-22, Hope Hospital provided 7184 people with outpatient consultations, 11,831 people with diagnostic tests, and 1586 people with inpatient treatment. Meanwhile, 8445 people received primary healthcare support through the Night Round ambulance in 2021-22.
Follow HOPE: Facebook @TheHopeFoundationUK, Instagram @the_hope_foundation_uk, Twitter @HOPE_UK
