Sir Chris Hoy joins Social Bite to break the cycle of homelessness

Sir Chris Hoy has teamed up with Scottish charity Social Bite to help raise £1m for the construction of two purpose-built villages to house people experiencing homelessness – and he wants you to get on your bike and join the campaign.  

The Olympic hero is set to lead 1,000 cyclists on a fundraising ride from Glasgow to Edinburgh for the Break The Cycle event, which aims to raise £1 million.

“I have seen the impact of the funds raised and I am passionate about supporting the bold approach to breaking the cycle of homelessness,” said Hoy.

“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.”

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Each participant will be asked to pledge to raise £1,000 before they take on the 60-mile challenge on September 5.

It will set off from the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow and finish near the flagship Social Bite Village in Granton, Edinburgh.

The cyclists involved will have the opportunity to win a range of prizes, including the naming of one of the homes in the new villages, which are planned for Glasgow and London.

Since the first Social Bite Village launched in 2018, the charity has been able to support and provide accommodation for 39 residents, helping many go on to find a permanent home.

Sir Chris Hoy is no stranger to Social Bite and has been involved regularly in the charity’s Sleep in The Park event, which has seen more than 18,000 people sleeping outside.

The founder of Social Bite, Josh Littlejohn said: “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.”

Littlejohn said that due to the success of the Granton village, the “ambition is to build more”.

He added: “The money that we manage to raise from this 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.”

For those that don’t fancy the long cycle, Break The Cycle is also open to anyone to get involved virtually, whether it be a 60-mile cycle or 60 minutes of exercise.

Families, friends, school pupils and the workplace are all encouraged to pick a challenge and get sponsored.

Ten percent of the funds raised will be donated to SAMH (the Scottish Association for Mental Health).

Sir Chris Hoy said: “I look forward to seeing those taking part at the starting line.”

To find out more or donate, visit: breakthecycle.co.uk