Un voyage de plus de 320 kilomètres! (A journey of over 200 miles!)

Eighteen volunteers are taking on a challenge to cycle over 200 miles between Paris and Chichester,UK to raise money for Huntington’s Disease Association.

The ride is part of year-long activities at Gatwick-based international payroll specialist IRIS FMP. The group has chosen HDA as their ‘Charity of the year’.

The 18 colleagues will be travelling from Paris on July 11th and arriving at the home of IRIS FMP CEO, Justin Cottrell, in Chichester, West Sussex on July 14th, where the whole company will be celebrating their return along with a summer party being held in the back yard. Rides and traditional games have been arranged for all staff and their families to join in the fun and celebrate the cyclists’ return. All funds raised from the cycle and the summer party will go to the charity.

Huntington’s Disease is a hereditary degenerative neuro-psychiatric disorder that usually affects people between the ages of 30-50 years. There is currently
no cure. The Huntington’s Disease Association supports people affected by the disease. They provide information and advice through a nationwide specialist Huntington’s Disease Advisory Service, with advisers working across England and Wales to offer practical support to families affected by Huntington’s.

The group will start from the Notre Dame early on the Thursday morning and travel via the Western route on the Avenue Verte. The first day will prove to be the toughest as they pass through St Germain, over the river Seine and onto the Vexin, a designated ‘Parc Naturel Régional’. They will cover 45 long miles to Gisors

On day 2 the group will ride through Gournay-en-Bray and onto Forges-les-Eaux. There is plenty to see on this second leg of the journey, from a Benedictine Abbey to market towns selling local Norman produce of cream, butter and honey, as well as the famous Neufchâtel cheese.

Day 3 completes their journey in France, and after cycling the final 33 miles Dieppe they will take the midnight crossing to Newhaven, UK. The tired group will complete the final leg of their journey as they cycle the last 43 miles to Chichester, to arrive at the summer party on Sunday afternoon.

For more information on Huntington’s visit https://www.hda.org.uk/.

To make a donation visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/fmpglobal.

Photographed below, 3 of the IRIS FMP cycling team: Amy Newton, Chloe Walton and Gemma Potter.