Horsham GP to bike to Gibraltar for homelessness charity

Dr Nigel Hills, 52, and his son Charlie are two of eight bikers starting the 2,500 mile journey to the British colony on Saturday May 14.

Nigel, who practises at Orchard Surgery, said: “It’s going to be the concentration. You are very involved in your surroundings all the time and driving on the wrong side of the road of course.

“It will be very hot. We will be surrounded by the elements all week.”

The team will stay in Gibraltar for a couple of hours before biking to the north Spanish coast for a ferry back to the UK.

He and Charlie, 21, are hoping to raise £4,000 between them for the town’s homelessness charity ARK Horsham.

Nigel said: “I think ARK is wonderful - offering help to people in Horsham who are down on their luck and doing rehabilitation for people after to drug use and alcohol misuse and giving them a chance to integrate.”

Nigel only took up biking again four years ago when his son Charlie became interested in it. It is not the first time he has done a biking challenge for charity.

In 2012 he biked around Ireland for the charity Love Russia with his friend Alex Cooke, who is also taking part in the Gibraltar rally. He is raising money for Force5 Education, which helps disadvantaged young people.

Joining them are Crawley GP Bob Ward, who is raising money for the Christian charity Love Russia; fellow Crawley GP Dr Mike Waldron biking for St Catherine’s Hospice; and Nick Noble is supporting the British Heart Foundation. Also riding are Ian Turvey and Mark Hill.

To sponsor Nigel go to www.justgiving.com/nigelhillsridetotherock; for Charlie go to www.justgiving.com/charliehillstotherock

Anyone wishing to support one of the other charities can email Alex on [email protected]