Teenage Charity Cycle Ride Turnaround This Weekend

Boys vow to complete cycle despite loss of funds on fraudulent site

The family of two local teenagers on an epic cycle ride will welcome them home this weekend for a brief stop over as donations start to build up again for the charity.

Thousands of pounds in donations went missing and The Charity Commission launched an investigation into the online donation site, 'CharityGiving' while the boys were on their charity cycle in France.

The boys, William Price (14) and Fabrice Lavenir (16) both play for Wasps, and, alongside lifelong friend Robert (67) a retired French patissier, have been cycling 3150 km from Budapest to Moulin in France. They will turn around and cycle back to France to complete the cycle, despite the news of the fraud.

Nearly three thousand pounds has been raised when the families heard that the donation site 'Charity Giving' had been suspended for mismanagement of funds.

William and Fabrice with Robert in northern France

William's mother, Sally Price, who runs Insider Dealings on Chiswick High Road, said the boys had been welcomed by the French Red Cross during their time in northern France.

They are due to arrive at Twyford Avenue this weekend on a top-off before heading back down to France to complete the 2,000 mile cycle.

A new donation site has now been set up and family and friends are appealing for people to support them on the new site.

They're raising money for the French Red Cross and the Serge Betsen academy which uses rugby to help disadvantaged and underprivileged children in Cameroon. Serge Betsen Tchoua is a French former rugby union player who played as a flanker for London Wasps and Biarritz at club level and for France internationally.

In 2011, Robert and William completed their first sporting challenge in aid of the Serge Betsen Academy by undertaking a 671 mile cycle ride from London to Moulins in France. They raised 8,000 euros and were able to help this charity to improve the lives of seriously underprivileged children in Cameroon.

July 26, 2013