12/02/2011

Charity Gap Year Travel: Cycle Trip To Austria

Former seasonnaire trio, Thomas Hasler, Matthew Renshaw and Lee Grant first met back in early 2006 whilst doing a winter season for Esprit Holidays in Neustift, Austria. Since then, the three have continued their friendship despite the distance between them.

Thomas, from Bristol and Lee, from Hampshire have completed a total of 13 seasons between them. ‘After completing several season with Esprit and Total Holidays I felt it was time to settle down, and return to England’ says Lee. ‘The great skills that I learnt whilst away, have been invaluable and helped me with finding employment upon my return’. Once he returned to England, Lee married a fellow seasonnaire, Denise, whom he met in the same season as Thomas and Matthew.

A similar story applies to Matthew, from Grimsby, who also met his future wife, Fay during the same season. ‘It was an amazing six months for me, I went away to do just a single ski season during my year out, and found myself a beautiful wife and some truly amazing friends’ comments Matthew.

It was during Matthew’s recent ‘stag do’ where the trio began putting idea’s together for their next adventure – a charity cycle ride to Austria. Lee and Denise’s son Joseph, has mild cerebral palsy, and Scope, the UK’s leading cerebral palsy charity helped the pair through the initial stage after they first found out. Thomas says ‘Scope are one of the largest disability charities in the UK and we want to support their work with adults and children with cerebral palsy.’

The trip will take place in April and will see the three former seasonnaire’s and Lee’s brother in law, Michael cycle 1000km from Holland, through Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Germany then to finish in Neustift, where they originally all met.

The Cycle 2 Austria team have pledged to raise £5000.00 for Scope and they need all the help they can get reaching their fundraising target. You can sponsor the team by visiting their website at www.cycle2austria.com or at www.justgiving.com/cycle2austria and click ‘sponsor me now’. You can also follow the team progress throughout the journey, with photo’s, video’s and blog’s on the website.

Browse Gap Year 365 Travel Opportunities: Gap Year Charity Trips