Cyclists to set off on historic ride from Harby, Lincolnshire, for the homeless

Cyclists across the country are once again being asked to sign up for a 200-mile bike ride for charity.

The Queen Eleanor Cycle Ride takes place over the August Bank Holiday weekend every year to raise money for London-based homelessness organisation The Connection.

This year, 40 riders will cycle the 200 miles from Harby (Lincolnshire) to Charing Cross in London, following the route of the 12 Queen Eleanor Crosses.

The ride starts on Friday, August 26, with overnight stops in Grantham, Geddington and Dunstable, and ends at Westminster Abbey on Monday, August 29.

All meals and plenty of cake are provided with accommodation in church and village halls, plus full transport back home.

If you can’t join the main ride, cyclists are also being encouraged to complete the distance from home in their own time.

Last year, the ride raised a record £30,000, despite the challenges of covid-19.

Money raised helps the long-term homeless into safe accommodation and a more settled and secure life.

The Connection at St Martin-in-the-Fields is based in central London, a few yards from the site of one of the original Queen Eleanor crosses in Trafalgar Square.

Participants will cycle in small groups chosen according to speed and ability, led by a cyclist who is familiar with the route.