Foursome cycle new festival for Canning Town homeless charity

Four staff members at a homeless charity will be cycling 25 miles each to refurbish their headquarters and build new flats.

Derek Pitt, James McNicholas, Jamie Crust, and Malik Seidu-Darbu work at Anchor House in Canning Town, and they will be taking part in the first Prudential RideLondon race for the charity’s Home and Hope Appeal.

The foursome aims to raise £2,000 to put towards refurbishing their 50-year-old building in Barking Road and provide 25 move-on flats for homeless people making the transition into independent living.

Derek, deputy director and team captain, said: “The whole team is really looking forward to the race and we’ve all been training hard.

“Here at Anchor House we help up to 220 homeless people a year, and the Appeal aims to ensure that we can provide them with the best possible support.

“Knowing that we’re raising money for such a fantastic cause makes it all worthwhile and I feel privileged to be working alongside such dedicated colleagues.”

Prudential RideLondon kicks off from Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford on Sunday August 3 and the Anchor House crew hopes to cycle 25 miles of the route each through Surrey before finishing in style in The Mall.

Sponsor the team by visiting their JustGiving page on www.justgiving.com/Anchor-House-Ride-London.