The King’s Trust Palace to Palace charity bike ride will return this autumn to raise vital funds to support the UK’s young people.
In its 18th year, the event – on October 5, - will see participants cycle from Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle via central London and the Surrey Hills.
Riders have a choice between two routes: the first, 45 miles, and the second, an ultra-90 mile for seasoned cyclists. Both routes traverse the Long Walk to Windsor Castle, marking the only time in the year when bikes are permitted along the tree-lined avenue of the royal castle.
Both routes end at the Finish Festival in Windsor, which will see live entertainment, food, and family activities in partnership with Sky to celebrate the fundraising effort.
The Palace Walk will also return after its debut last year. The 13.1-mile circular walk begins and ends at Royal Windsor Racecourse, passing along Windsor Great Park, Windsor Castle, The Long Walk, and the Thames Path, with participants also welcome to join in at the Finish Festival.
Those looking to get involved can sign up here. Readers of the Standard can get an exclusive discount until the end of July using the code STANDARD10.
Founded by the King in 1976, the King’s Trust aims to support people ages between 11 to 30 in developing life skills and accessing career opportunities. Since 2011, the trust’s Palace to Palace initiative has raised nearly £7 million for helping young people to move into education and employment.
Young people are almost five times more likely to be unemployed compared to the rest of the working age population. Currently, there are more than 900,000 young people out of work.
Terry, a young ambassador for the King’s Trust, is just one example of somebody whose life was transformed by the trust after completing a “Get Started with Games Design” course delivered by NextGen.
He said: “I worked in fast food for several years, but I wasn’t fulfilled. I felt like I didn’t have any direction, and that my career was stuck in a cul-de-sac. Eventually, this impacted my mental health and how I saw myself. I wanted to do more, but I lacked the self-confidence and opportunity to pursue my dream of working in gaming. My luck changed when I applied for the Get Started with Gaming programme.
“The course gave me a clear focus and the belief that the job I wanted was out there. Within a few years I’ve been able to secure various roles within the gaming industry – I had to work hard to get here, but the support from The King’s Trust has been unparalleled.”
