# In for a penny

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2010/09/21/penny/
- Published: 2010-09-21T09:25:32+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**‘Chaptain Handlebar’, Matt Hitchen, is embarking on a 140 mile coast to coast 
cycling fundraiser with a difference on October 28. Matt is a manager at a cocktail
bar and is known for his image as a vintage bartender, complete with waxed moustache.**

The 24 year old from Gateshead will attempt to ride the route the old fashioned 
way, on a penny farthing, to raise funds for national charity The Sick Children’s
Trust. Matt’s penny farthing has been generously supplied by[ iwantoneofthose.com](http://www.iwantoneofthose.com).

![‘Chaptain Handlebar’, Matt Hitchen on his Penny Farthing bicycle](https://wfay6x.
infiniteuploads.cloud/2021/06/PennySepia4.jpg)

The Sick Children’s Trust, which provides high quality ‘Home from Home’ accommodation
for families whose children are receiving hospital treatment for serious illness,
helped Matt’s family stay close to his cousin, Jamie Green. Jamie was being treated
for several weeks at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary late last year for ornithine
carbamoyl transferase deficiency. This is a rare, life threatening, metabolic disorder
he had struggled with all his life.
Matt said: ”As my family lives in Cumbria it
would have put real stress on them to travel back and forth every day to visit Jamie.
The Sick Children’s Trust allowed us to stay close by at their ‘Home from Home’,
Crawford House, and concentrate on what was really important – being there for Jamie.

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“Jamie passed away last December, aged just 21, and I wanted to do something to 
remember him by as well as give back to the charity for all their support during
a really hard time. He had a brilliant sense of humour so I know he would have loved
the idea of this challenge!”

Matt has started training for the challenge by riding his penny farthing from Gateshead
to work in Newcastle most days and is slowly getting ready to take on the route.
His ride starts in Whitehaven in Cumbria on October 28 and will finish three days
later in Tynemouth. He is using the Hadrian’s Cycleway, rather than the more usual
route, in recognition of Jamie’s love of the Roman Wall and its forts.

Lydia Solomon, community fundraiser at The Sick Children’s Trust said: “Matt and
his family have been through such an awful time of it over the last year with losing
Jamie and I am just glad we were there to support him and his family when they needed
it most. It’s great to see him embrace fundraising for our charity in such a fun
and unique way. As far as I know this has never been tried before but, hopefully,
it will start a trend in fundraising! I wish him the best of luck for his challenge.”

To support Matt please go to [www.inforapenny.org.uk](http://www.inforapenny.org.uk)

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