Today is day 7 of 7, with 6 days of solid cycling behind him with one big push today to get to the finish line in Southend. Gary Lockett is the chair of Southend United Community & Educational Trust and a director of Southend United Football Club. He embarked on this epic challenge, leaving Roots Hall in Southend in Essex on 15th June heading all the way up to Southend in Scotland.
Gary has currently completed 550 of the 640 miles and yesterday saw him cycle the width of Scotland in 7 hours from Edinburgh to Inveraray.
Day 5 and 6 were very challenging, with three big hills to climb into Edinburgh and a head wind on day 5. Day 6 saw Gary cycle into the hills of West Scotland, totalling 110 miles which is a massive achievement.
This is a great personal achievement with real mental toughness and resilience needed to get up day after day and cycle mile after mile for a charity close to his heart, one that he is also the chairman of.
Our vision is to utilise the power of sport and the vehicle of Southend United Football Club to have a positive influence of people’s lives with a mission to have engaged with 1 million people between 2016 and 2026.
We tackle the many complex issues facing our local community such as poverty, diabetes, isolation, bullying, anti-social behaviour, poor education, low self-esteem and so much more. We implement community and education focused programmes and solutions that make a real difference.
‘Football is where our passion starts and not where it ends,
Our goal is to teach young people to do more than score goals,
Whether they’re sporty or not, every child and young person in our community deserves the chance to part of a team,
Because when you’re part of a team, you discover great qualities in yourself. Qualities like respect, determination and friendship,
When you’re part of a team, you lay the foundations for the adult you’ll become,
When you’re part of a team, you learn how to be your best self,
Kicking a ball isn’t the be all and end all. It’s about building up the courage to take a shot,
That courage stays with you,
And once you have it, anything is possible.’
After Southend United were relegated from the English Football League (EFL), Southend United Community & Educational Trust has lost £100,000 per year in funding from the Premier League and EFL.
Gary’s cycle is to help relieve some of the financial pressures that losing that level of funding brings and to enable SUCET to continue their much needed work in the local community. Donations are still welcome as well as your messages of support to push Gary over that finish line SUFC Community is fundraising for Southend United Community & Educational Trust (justgiving.com)