A team of cyclists have raised £37,500 for the mayor’s charities by cycling from Paris to Brighton.
The event started with Brighton and Hove Mayor Pete West in Paris remotely setting off the Brighton Fringe opening fireworks by live video link.
Councillor West then joined 30 members of the Brighton and Hove Property Consortium on the ride back to Brighton, with the mayor on a tandem.
He had already cycled round the Brighton and Lewes Downs Biosphere and walked the Brighton and Hove Way – a sort of bearing the bounds – over previous weekends. He described the three fundraising events as his Triple Challenge.
Before setting off, the mayor said: “I’m really excited about joining the Paris to Brighton charity cycle ride which I aim to complete riding on a tandem.
“I’m hoping we’ll not only raise much-needed funds for our charities but also strengthen the entente cordiale as we are greeted by mayors across northern France.
“This is the year of the bicycle so as the ‘cycling mayor’ I’m doing all I can to encourage people to discover the benefits of getting on a bike.
“The ride will be an opening event for the Brighton Fringe and when we get back to the city we’ll be joining a special Fringe City community day.
“It’s all going to be huge fun with purpose and I am really grateful to the Brighton and Hove Property Consortium for their commitment in organising this for the city.”
This is the second year that members of the property consortium have cycled between the two cities. They travelled with support vehicles supplied by Citroen and adorned with Visit Brighton branding.
The organiser Colin Brace said that the event was inspired by last year’s mayor Councillor Lynda Hyde when the cyclists rode from the i360 to the Eiffel Tower.
And it was a way of putting something back into the community, he added. He thanked supporters, including the housing association Hyde, estate agent Oakley Property and Lollipop Print among others.
To make a donation, click here.
