A DANBURY man is leading a team of cyclists on an epic 370-mile challenge for a children's charity.

David Plane and the nine-strong team will set off from Rainbow House in central London on Wednesday, June 7, before making their way to all ten of the Sick Children’s Trust charity’s ‘Homes from Home’.

That will take them to Cambridge, Sheffield and Leeds before crossing the finish line on June 11 at Crawford House in Newcastle.

Joining David on the Long Ride Home are cyclists Jack Bloy, Jon Bloy, Tim Burdett, Steve Cook, David Ferguson, Mark Goudy, Ollie Newman and Graeme Savill.

They have already raised £30,000 for the Sick Children’s Trust, which supports families while their children are seriously ill in hospital.

David's son Brody wasn’t breathing when he was born after inhaling meconium during labour.

He spent 30 days fighting for his life at the Royal London Hospital - 60 minutes away from the family’s home in Chigwell, where they lived at the time.

Throughout Brody’s treatment, David and wife Lesa Bennett were supported with a free place to stay at Stevenson House close to the hospital so they were always by their son’s side.

Since Brody recovered, David has passionately raised funds for the charity, taking part in the 2019 London Marathon and this year's Ride London.

David said: “There’s a lot of anticipation building within the team now as we’re all looking forward to getting on the road.

"We’re having a lot of fun with the training and encouraging each other through our weekly training leader board.

"It’s a huge challenge covering about 100km a day, but having the support of the team I know we’ll get each other over the line. It feels less daunting than doing a solo challenge because we have that support and camaraderie."

He added: “It was an awful time when Brody was in hospital, especially during the first two weeks as we really feared the worst for our son.

"During all the heartache and uncertainty, we were offered a place to stay at Stevenson House, which was located just a few minutes' walk from Brody’s hospital bedside.

“The ‘Home from Home’ meant we could be with Brody at any time. We could read him bedtime stories, visit him at all hours and take every step with him.

"If it wasn’t for Stevenson House, we would’ve felt like were abandoning our son. It was invaluable that we got to spend that time with him.

“We’ll never forget the support the Sick Children’s Trust gave us.

"We want to help in whatever way we can to raise money to help other families who find themselves in a similar situation to us, and to also increase awareness of the charity’s work and the difference their support makes to families with sick children.

“Knowing that Lesa, Brody and his younger sister, Patsy, are cheering me on and supporting me at home will give me all the encouragement I need to complete this challenge.”

To sponsor the Long Ride Home, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/David-Plane4. For more information about the Sick Children’s Trust, visit sickchildrenstrust.org.