Reds To Go Coast 2 Coast

A team of Liverpool FC employees are set to take part in a 'Coast 2 Coast' cycle to raise money for charity next month.

Reds coaches Stephen Hollis and Mike Yates, as well as manager of the club's Action for Help campaign Mark Haig and Parker Cycles' Barry Major, are aiming to raise funds for Claire House Children's Hospice and Meningitis UK - organizations that have special significance to the four Liverpool fans who have chosen to participate.

The 170-mile cycle begins on the Cumbrian shoreline at Whitehaven on September 1 and ends at Sunderland FC's Stadium of Light two days later.

Liverpoolfc.tv recently caught up with Stephen and Mike at Anfield, where the pair revealed the poignant reasons behind the selection of these two particular charities.

Stephen told us how close friends of his tragically lost their four-year-old boy Harvey in March after being diagnosed with Peroxisome Biogenesis disorder when he was just 9 months old.

Harvey spent four months in Alder Hey Children's Hospital with Claire House, where he was looked after and his family provided with the help that they needed in order to cope throughout such a difficult time.

It is in Harvey's memory, and in recognition of the great work and support from all the staff at Claire House, that Steve intends to complete the Coast 2 Coast challenge.

Fellow coach Mike is taking part in the cycle in to raise funds for Meningitis UK after his niece Eloise lost her five-day battle with Pneumococcal Meningitis and Septicemia last December.

In February a new vaccine was successfully launched which, had it been available two months previous, could have saved Eloise's life.

Meningitis UK is committed to the eradication of the disease through the development of such vaccines and Mike and his family see this as a crucial step towards preventing other families experiencing the terrible loss they suffered.

The two coaches will be joined by Mark, who is the manager of LFC's Action for Help Campaign and, as a cyclist, is expected to 'set the pace'.

lso taking part is Barry of Parker Cycles - who kindly donated the bikes for the journey - someone who has recently recovered from meningitis himself.

The quartet are just over a month into a rigorous training regime which has seen them cycle over 20 miles a day and the coaches admit so far it's been a challenge.

"To be honest it's been a little bit harder than we thought," said Stephen. "We're going to be doing 60 miles a day over a period of three days and it's totally different from what we're used to.

"We used to play here (at Anfield) but the training doesn't prepare you for the bike ride, you use a completely different set of muscles. You might think you're reasonably fit but this just shows you. The seat doesn't help either!

"It will be difficult but we're hoping that the reasons for doing it will help us through. When you think about it really, 200 miles is a small price to pay."

So far, the quartet have received donations via the internet and with your kind help, they hope that the amount pledged to date will be further raised over the coming weeks.

The cycles used by the team on their two-day journey will be signed by Kop stars Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Joe Cole and Fernando Torres.

After the Coast 2 Coast challenge has been completed the bikes will be raffled, with those who have donated more than one pound via the trust fund pages in with a chance of winning.