600 miles on two wheels for hospice

Journey’s end . . . Alun Ireland at the foot of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

A charity cyclist clocked up nearly 600 miles and more than £1,000 for Francis House Children’s Hospice when he cycled from Denshaw to Paris.

Alun Ireland took six days to do the trip, leaving his home in wind and rain before finishing at the Eiffel Tower in sunshine.

He said: “It was something I had planned to do for a while as I have close family connections with the hospice.

“I had originally planned to do the ride with a friend, but he had to pull out through sickness at the last minute, so I went alone.

“Luckily, he was able to meet me to celebrate at the end of the trip in Paris.”

Francis House takes children and young people from across Oldham to give them and their families respite care and treatment.

Alun, former assistant news editor at the Oldham Chronicle, added: “Francis House is an inspirational place but relies almost entirely on voluntary donations, so I was delighted to raise the money and would like to thank everyone who sponsored me.”