Have you been watching the Tour de France this year? Spare a thought for our keenest cyclists who have been doing their own version over the past few weeks, all in aid of our chosen charity LandAid.
Over the course of the Tour de France, the Tour de LandAid has challenged participants to cycle along with the professionals in their own neck of the woods to raise money for youth homelessness.
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Homelessness in the UK is slowly being normalised, which is appalling as no one should be in a scenario where a roof over their head is not a viable option. Incidents of ‘rough sleeping’ have increased by 94% in the last ten years. LandAid exists to fund organisations who work alongside people experiencing homelessness to provide immediate care and opportunities for them to thrive.
Trident, along with many organisations in the property and construction industry, entered teams aiming to keep up with the main peloton on the other side of the Channel. The primary goal was to raise money for LandAid but the extra incentive of being crowned with the Yellow Jersey, sponsored by Trident, has also inspired some of the competitors.
Team Trident is made up of the homegrown talents of Keith Richards, Freddie Millar and Owen Pottle, with on-loan players Estelle Hunt of Castlebrooke Investments, John Lawlor of Tetrarch Capital and James Connor of BMO Global Asset Management.
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Our Dublin director, Freddie Millar notes that it’s “not easy finding the time for a cycle every day with work and family commitments but you force yourself to find the time and not let the side down!”
“Great to see the photos and banter put up on social media by the Trident team and guests as they wander around the UK and Ireland. Would have been difficult doing this on my own and the team spirit certainly keeps morale up! I also have way more respect for the professionals completing the TDF. How they do 6 times my distance every day is way beyond me!”
Executive Director and Leeds director Keith Richards adds “the Tour de Land Aid has given me the chance to draw attention to those who face more difficulties than I can imagine and to contribute in a small way to raising funds. Then, I’ve found a renewed enthusiasm for cycling as a leisure activity and a means of transport: hitting the roads and trails locally and further afield; covering country lanes, gravelled tracks and unexpected grassy upland paths on Sustrans Route 1 to Scotland!”
COVID-19 has been a huge setback to the efforts in improving resources and opportunities for people experiencing homelessness. Local authorities expect to see an increase in homelessness due to the eviction ban being lifted from the private rented sector, as well as an increase in unemployment after losing their jobs during the pandemic. Trident recognises the role the construction industry has in the housing crisis and strives to work harder to alleviate these problems.
The teams cross their own finish lines on Sunday 18 July, so there is still time to donate to Team Trident and help LandAid continue their vital work.
