Sir Chris Hoy is aiding a Scots charity in their campaign to raise £1m for the construction of homelessness villages in Glasgow and London.
The campaign called Break the Cycle has been launched by Social Bite and will see the six-time Olympic champion accompany 1,000 fellow cyclists on a 60-mile charity bike ride from Glasgow to Edinburgh.
All money raised from the event on Sunday, September 5 will go towards creating two highly supported communities to help people affected by homelessness to build an independent life, with the help of engineering firm Arup.
Sir Chris Hoy said: “I have seen the impact of the funds raised and I am passionate about supporting the bold approach to breaking the cycle of homelessness.
“I know times have been incredibly tough of late, but I’d encourage everyone to get involved and help raise the funds needed for this extraordinary project and take on their own challenges over the coming weeks and months.
“I look forward to see those taking part at the starting line.”
Each participant is asked to raise £1,000 in order to take part and ride alongside Sir Hoy – which will go towards the overall fundraising target.
All participants will also have the opportunity to name a house in one of the villages and will earn a signed media from Sir Chris Hoy himself.
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CEO and Co-Founder of Social Bite, Josh Littlejohn MBE, said: “It’s an honour for us to have one of the country’s biggest sporting heroes support us in our effort to build two new villages for people in a situation of homelessness.
“Sir Chris has been an advocate of the work we do for some time and when we came up with the Break the Cycle concept, we knew there was only one person we wanted to partner with.”
The fundraising campaign is open to all levels of fitness and ability, and people across the UK are invited to take part in their own virtual challenges from March to September to raise money to help break the cycle of homelessness.
Friends, families, workplace teams, and schools are all encouraged to pick a challenge and get sponsored for doing it.
That can be a 60-miles or 60 minutes – the virtual challenge should be tailored to meet whatever is most appropriate for the participants.
Since launching in May 2018, the Social Bite Village in Edinburgh has provided accommodation and support to 39 residents – helping them to get back on their feet and find permanent homes.
Mr Littlejohn continued: “Now that we have seen that the model is working, our ambition is to build more in cities across the country and I’m thrilled to announce that this is our intention in London and Glasgow.
“The money we manage to raise from our Break the Cycle fundraising campaign will allow these plans to become a reality and enable us to develop communities that will have a transformative impact on people’s lives.”
The aim of Social Bite Villages is to provide an alternative blueprint to responding to homelessness and temporary accommodation.
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Director at Arup, Steven McKechnie, said: “Our society can be a challenging place for those who don’t fit neatly into its expectations and norms.
“Social Bite’s ‘villages’ provide a route into society for some of those people.
“They provide support and shelter and enable the growth of self-worth. They help people to learn how to start growing their roots.
“They are more than just a room for the night. They are beautiful and homely. They have a sense of place and delight that feeds the soul.”
The village concept is supported by Dame Louise Casey, the former Westminster homelessness tsar, who helped 33,000 people into emergency housing during the pandemic.
Additionally, 10% of all funds raised will be donated to the Scottish Association for Mental Health.
Further funds will be invested in Social Bite’s mission to Break the Cycle of homelessness by providing food, employment, opportunities, and housing projects.
Head of Homelessness at Glasgow Council, Jim McBride, said: “Glasgow HSCP would welcome early discussions with Social Bite to determine how this innovative approach could contribute to the work the city is undertaking to address homelessness and supporting people who present with complex needs.”
To find out more information off donate, visit Break the Cycle.
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