220 miles in father’s memory

Simon Connellan, Creative Director at Yogi Communications, who recently lost his father is cycling over 200 miles from London to Brittany to raise £2,000 for the institute that cared for him in his final days.

Simon will cycle from central London to St Malo in Brittany to raise money for ‘The Little Sisters of the Poor’ in London, a facility dedicated to elderly care which looked after his father Peter Connellan.

The 220 mile cycle will start on Friday 26 May in central London, where Peter lived, and will end at the original hospice of St Jeanne Jugan in St Malo in France three days later.

The ride will take him from central London and down to the south coast, where he will take a ferry to Cherbourg. The rest of the weekend will be spent cycling the coast via Mont St Michel to St Malo.

Simon said: “The care that my father received in his final days from the nuns and staff of the Little Sisters of the Poor was one of the most moving times of my life. They were incredible. I’m hoping my ride will raise awareness of the fantastic work they do and raise vital funds for them to continue their work.”

The Little Sisters of the Poor relies on donations to maintain end of life care for elderly people. Run by nuns, they work tirelessly to raise funds and famously walk the streets to raise money, just as they have done for over 150 years since their founder St Jeanne Jugan first devoted her life to helping the poor.

To provide for the needs of the elderly, St Jeanne Jugan walked the roads of Brittany in 1839. Knocking on doors, she asked for money and gifts in kind to support the cause. Jeanne was recognised for her begging basket. Today’s collecting Little Sisters are similarly recognised on their daily rounds, visiting businesses and markets asking for donations to help offset the running costs of their homes.

Simon added “We were all very proud of my father. He was a long standing member of the church community in Wimbledon, devoting his life to helping the Catholic community as well as the local schools, and scouting association. Along with my mother, he was awarded the Bene Merenti medal in the 90s for all of his hard work. My ‘Ride for Peter’ is dedicated to his memory.”

If you would like to donate to Simon’s ‘Ride for Peter’, please visit: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/RideforPeter

For more information please visit the @RideForPeter Facebook page