A TRIO of fundraising friends are on a 400 mile journey to raise money for children with cerebral palsy.

Tom Potter

A TRIO of fundraising friends are on a 400 mile journey to raise money for children with cerebral palsy.

St Alban's school chums Joe Cassidy, Luke Kennedy and Lewis Garrard are using peddle power to reach Amsterdam this afternoon.

The 17-year-olds are riding to raise funds for the Bobath Centre, in London, which cared for Joe's younger sister, Martine, who suffers from cerebral palsy.

In the February last year, he cycled on his own from his Constable Road home in Ipswich to London but this time he will was joined by Luke and Lewis as they travel from Heathside School to St Paulus special school in Amsterdam and back.

Joe said: “I know from personal experience that the Bobath Centre is a very good and worthwhile cause.

“There aren't many people who know about it but I hope the ride will raise some awareness.”

The three friends will be travelling from Heathside to Harwich and catching a ferry, kindly paid for by Stena Line, to the Hook of Holland. From there they will cycle through Rotterdam and den Haag, finishing up at St Paulus in Amsterdam.

Luke explained how the idea came about, saying: “A group of us had arranged to go on a lads' holiday to Amsterdam but when Lewis and I heard about Joe's fundraising we suggested cycling instead.

“I haven't been on a bike in ages after I had a moped accident last year but Holland is mostly flat so I should be ok!”

Joe, Luke and Lewis plan to make a video diary of their journey to prove to the friends, teachers and family that have sponsored them �750 so far that they actually went all the way by bike.

To sponsor the boys visit www.justgiving.com/bikeforlifeuk.

Are you going out of your way to raise money for a good cause? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk