11-year-old boy from Barns Green takes on 40-mile charity cycle with his mum

James and Lucinda Potten rode from Barns Green to Shoreham along the Downslink on Monday, May 31, and have so far raised more than £750 for the charity.

Lucinda said: “James did brilliantly in the heat, with the aid of various snacks and drinks. I’m very proud of him as he is not used to cycling long distances.

“We chose to raise money for WaterAid as Covid has made us think about the essential things in life.

“We were shocked to find out that 800 children die per day due to contaminated water. 785 million people don’t have access to clean water and climate change is making it worse with drought and flooding.

“We wanted to raise money to pay for clean water provision e.g. boreholes, decent toilets and hygiene information. Clean water is vital in these Covid times to wash hands and ensure good hygiene practices.

“We also wanted to do the cycle to create good memories after a very challenging year.”

The mother and son team had been in training since February after they decided they needed to get fitter in lockdown, and James has been doing hockey, football, touch rugby and cricket to get fit since organised sports were able to start again.

To donate, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jamespotten