Dan Sullivan - from London to Paris

TWO local footballers swapped their boots for bikes and cycling from London to Paris for charity.

Friends Ed Thompson and Dan Sullivan set off on Wednesday 20th June from Trafalgar Square and hoped to reach the French capital on Saturday 23rd.

Ed used to play for Three Bridges and currently plays for Crawley Down, while Dan used to play for Crawley Down and currently plays for Horsham YMCA.

The pair will cycle a gruelling 100 miles per day, in aid of Challenge Worldwide which helps children and their families in Africa.

BT employee Ed, from Milborne Road in Maidenbower, will be part of a team of volunteers from his company who will head to Africa in November.

He will travel to the Kibera slums in Kenya and help refurbish a school there. Then he will visit Lake Natron in Tanzania to build a classroom and a system for collecting rainwater and making it safe to drink.

Each volunteer is aiming to raise at least £3,500 to pay for the materials to complete the projects and the sponsored cycle ride is one of the challenges Ed hopes to complete to raise his share.

Dan, 30, from Meadow View, Smallfield, was Ed's best man at his wedding and has stepped in to accompany him on the bike ride.

Ed, 33, said: "Cycling to Paris is something I've always wanted to do. So I get to fulfil a dream and raise money for a good cause."

He added: "I cycle when I commute to work in Dorking but I don't work there every day.

"I usually try to cycle about 30 to 40 miles a week but I've upped that to 70 or 80 miles."

To donate to the cause visit www.charitygiving.co.uk/edwinthompson1