Pompey fan to cycle 267 miles to raise money for hospices

This is not the first time Carl has taken on a mammoth challenge having cycled a similar distance from Portsmouth to Bury in the Ride2Bury challenge in 2014.

Carl, from Milton, said he was inspired to do the fundraiser after Barnsley FC’s owner Partick Cryne announced in an open letter he had terminal cancer.

‘I have friends who live in Barnsley and they invited me to the club’s game against Leeds in November,’ Carl said.

‘After the invite, I saw Barnsley’s owner had written the letter talking about his diagnosis.

‘We all know someone who has been affected by this horrible illness so I wanted to do something to raise cash.’

Carl will be raising money for The Rowans Hospice in Purbrook, which offers end-of-life care for people with life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses, and Barnsley Hospice.

He will be completing the 267-mile journey alone.

Carl added: ‘I am not feeling too worried about finishing in time because I have done longer distances before.

‘But I am worried I might get lost and travelling alone is harder than in a group when there is a real community spirit.

‘All I have to remember though, no matter how bruised or lost I might get, it’ll be nothing compared to what the people with cancer are going through.’

When Carl announced what he was looking to do, he got a big response on social media.

He said: ‘I didn’t expect a large response but I have got more than 200 retweets and 400 likes on Twitter.

‘It has snowballed like I’d never imagined.

‘It has made me all the more compelled to do it.’

Carl will start the challenge on November 22 – giving himself three days to get to Barnsley.

He is hoping to raise £1,000. To donate visit justgiving.com/fundraising/carl-paddon4.