A 14-year-old girl is cycling over 500 miles from Edinburgh to London to raise money to help homeless and badly housed people in Scotland.
Grace Stewart-Piercy, from Lanchester in County Durham, set off today.
She will take a week to cycle from Shelter Scotland’s headquarters on Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, to the charity’s offices in London.
Simon, Grace’s dad, will support her on the journey.
Grace has already cycled coast-to-coast when she was just nine, raising £250.
This year she hopes to raise over £5,000 – which Shelter say is enough to help them transfer 20 families from a condemned property into a safe, secure home.
Grace said: “This will be the longest and hardest cycle ride I’ve ever done but I’m excited to hit the road, have fun and hopefully raise money for a very worthy cause.
“I can’t imagine how frightening it must be to lose your home and all of your belongings. I feel very fortunate to have a roof over my head and not have to worry about sleeping in a damp or cold house.
“The one thing that will get me through this challenge is the thought of raising money for such a good cause.
“If the money I raise helps just one person it’ll be completely worth it.”
Determination
Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland, said: “I am in awe of Grace’s determination and generosity.
“Donations like this go a long way and help us in our work to meaningfully tackle Scotland’s housing crisis for good. We wish Grace and her dad the best of luck as they embark on their adventure.
“We look forward to cheering them on throughout their journey and as they cross the finishing line.”
For further information or to donate go to https://www.justgiving.com/shelterbelter/
