19th June 2019
Eighteen intrepid volunteers are taking on a challenge to ride over 200 miles between Paris and Chichester, raising money for Huntington’s Disease Association.
The ride is part of year-long activities at Horley-based international payroll specialist IRIS FMP. The group has chosen HDA as their ‘Charity of the year’.
The 18 colleagues will be travelling from Paris on Thursday 11th July and arriving at the home of IRIS FMP CEO, Justin Cottrell, in Chichester, West Sussex on Sunday 14th July, where the whole company will be celebrating their return along with a summer fete being held in the garden. A helter skelter, stockade, tombola and many other traditional games have been arranged for all staff and their families to join in the fun and celebrate the cyclists’ return. All funds raised from the ride and the summer fete will go to the charity.
Huntington’s Disease is a hereditary degenerative neuro-psychiatric disorder that usually affects people between the ages of 30-50 years. There is currently
no cure. The Huntington’s Disease Association supports people affected by the disease. They provide information and advice through a nationwide specialist Huntington’s Disease Advisory Service, with advisers working across England and Wales to offer practical support to families affected by Huntington’s.
The group will start from the Notre Dame early on the Thursday morning and travel via the Western route on the Avenue Verte. The first day will prove to be the toughest as they pass through St Germain, over the river Seine and onto the Vexin, a designated ‘Parc Naturel Régional’. They will cover 45 long miles to Gisors
On day 2 the group will ride through Gournay-en-Bray and onto Forges-les-Eaux. There is plenty to see on this second leg of the journey, from a Benedictine Abbey to market towns selling local Norman produce of cream, butter and honey, as well as the famous Neufchâtel cheese.
Day 3 completes their journey in France, and after cycling the final 33 miles Dieppe they will take the midnight crossing to Newhaven. This tired bunch will complete the final leg of their journey as they cycle the last 43 miles to Chichester, to arrive at the summer fete on Sunday afternoon.
For more information on Huntington’s visit https://www.hda.org.uk/.
To make a donation visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/fmpglobal.
Photographed below, 3 of the IRIS FMP cycling team: Amy Newton, Chloe Walton and Gemma Potter.
