Birmingham City and Aston Villa fans unite for great cause
Two Boldmere friends put football rivalries aside to raise more than £3,000 for charity.
Birmingham City season ticket holder John McAuley and Aston Villa supporter Lloyd Norton trained for six months to complete the Ambitious for Autism charity ride.
The pair, through their justgiving page 'The Claret and the Blue' have been raising money for autism charities in the UK, including Autism West Midlands by cycling 220 miles.
John said: "My son, Eoin, is autistic, and charities have been very supportive to our family over the last few years so we decided to help raise funds for them.
"The ride is usually from London to Manchester, but due to Covid, cyclists were able to choose any route as long as they completed 220 miles over a weekend.
"Lloyd and I decided to get the majority out of the way on Saturday, and so we cycled 160 miles – starting from Boldmere at 5am.
"We arrived in Stratford at 7.15am before heading back up to Lichfield, and then cycled loops around the Sutton and Coleshill area.
"The final 60 miles, on Sunday, were a breeze compared with Saturday, and we were joined by our friends, Scott Neilson and David Doogan, to help get us through."
The pair's efforts have raised over £3500 so far but anyone wishing to support them can still do so by visiting virginmoneygiving.com/Team/TheClaretandTheBlue.
There are more than half a million autistic people living in the UK, including 60,000 who live in the West Midlands.
Autism West Midlands use their expertise to enrich the lives of people and those who love and care for them.
Their staff and volunteers work across all age groups and abilities, providing direct support.
The charity has an 'Understanding Autism' Webinar for Parents Carers and Professionals coming up next week. It takes place on July 13 from 9.30am-10.30am.
To find out more about the free event, visit the website autismwestmidlands.org.uk/events/
Ambitious about Autism was founded as TreeHouse in 1997 – a specialist school for children with autism, with four pupils based in a borrowed room in the Royal Free Hospital in London.
