Tuesday 9th November 2010 - Published by Kelly Jackson - Communications Executive
Pedal power pays for Charlie
A TEENAGER from the West Midlands has cycled 250 miles with his father, to raise money for a local hospital.
Charlie Mott, aged 14, and his father Tony, cycled from Amsterdam to Streetly, near Walsall, raising £750 for Walsall Manor Hospital.
Charlie, a pupil at Hydesville Tower School in Walsall, and Tony, took five days to complete the ride during the school holidays. Charlie said:
“I wanted to do something to raise money for charity and decided to help the baby and children’s unit at Walsall Manor Hospital as it is where I was born”, says Charlie.
“I love cycling and the Amsterdam trip was my Dad’s idea. We cycled over 50 miles a day, but it wasn’t that tiring and was definitely worthwhile, as it raised so much for the hospital.”
Rather than choosing speedy bicycles, the father and son team made the journey on Dutch ‘city bikes’, which are sit-up style and are not known for their aerodynamic nature. Tony used to work in Amsterdam, where these bikes are extremely popular, and chose them as he thought it would be a different experience, because they are an unusual sight in the UK.
Charlie on his regular bike, handing over the cheque to representatives from the hospital
