Tim Hall takes on the London to Paris cycle challenge to raise funds for The Willow Trust

GARAGE owner Tim Hall is swapping his usual four wheels for two when he takes on the London to Paris cycle challenge to raise funds for The Willow Trust in July.

Mr Hall who owns The Alternative Garage in Gloucester will set off on Wednesday, July 20, to cycle the 330 miles from London to Dover and then from Dunkirk to Paris, finishing with a final lap in the tyre tracks of the cycling greats on the Champs Elysees on Sunday, July 24.

A keen amateur cyclist and head coach for the Longlevens Football Team, Tim is a long term supporter of The Willow Trust, a charity based at Saul Junction near Stroud, which each year provides 7,000 days of freedom on the waters of the Gloucester Sharpness canal for children and adults with disabilities and serious illnesses.

Meeting up with the Willow Trust’s volunteers and St Roses Special School from Stroud before their day onboard one of the Trust’s canal boats Spirit of Freedom II this Tuesday, Mr Hall explained his reasons for taking on this cycling challenge: I have worked on both Willow Trust boats and found it a humbling as well as a very rewarding experience.

The boats are equipped to ensure that even the most profoundly disabled guests can access the heart of our beautiful Gloucestershire countryside – a pleasure that most of us take for granted.

By taking on this London to Paris cycle ride, I wanted to help ensure these days continue to remain completely free of charge for the people in our community that need them most.

Willow Trust Administrator Liz Rowland added: This is our 26th season and we stay afloat thanks to the kindness and generosity of friends like Tim, so please support him if you can.

Details of how you can support Tim Hall and help The Willow Trust can be found on the Trust’s website willowtrust.org and on their Facebook page: The Willow Trust.