Paul pedalling hard for charity

A TEACHER who is always geared up to ride his bike for charity has been nominated for a Pride in Oldham award.

Paul Heald, curriculum leader in brickwork at Oldham College, has been using his passion to fundraise for various charities, such as Dr Kershaw’s Hospice and The Christie.

In his spare time, Paul (43) is a Skyride leader for British Cycling. Over the past three years, he has led a team from Oldham College in the Manchester to Blackpool bike ride.

This year, 23 of his colleagues took part. Overall, Paul has raised a total of £2,500 for Dr Kershaw’s.

He was nominated by Andrew Dearing, head of construction and crafts at Oldham College.

He said: “Paul does a lot for charity. Not only has this endeavour raised money, it has also evolved into a great experience for his colleagues.

“He’s a good guy. He cares passionately about education.”

Paul organises every aspect of the project including dedicated training sessions for the team members to build up their endurance ahead of the 62-mile challenge.

On being nominated, he said: “I’m quite taken aback by it. Quite a few people have taken up cycling on the back of this, and of course it has health benefits.”