Nick Hart, from Hockley, will be cycling in his shed this summer as he pedals a virtual 500 miles from Southend-on-Sea to Southend– the lesser-known ‘Southend’ on Scotland’s Kintyre peninsula, in Argyll and Bute. 

He plans to complete every mile from the saddle of his trusty – and, by his own admission, barely used – exercise bike, without actually leaving his home.  

Setting off on 1st July and aiming for more than 15 miles a day, Nick hopes to roll over the virtual finish line in late July. With the route stretching around 500 miles, he’s set himself an initial fundraising target of £500 – a pound for every mile – in aid of Little Havens children’s hospice. 

Nick is one of Little Havens’ long-standing supporters and a family ambassador, who knows first-hand the difference the hospice’s care makes to local families. His daughter, Katie, was cared for at Little Havens in 2007 after a diagnosis of brain cancer and sadly died a year later at the hospice. Nick has championed the charity ever since –  he set up Friends of Katie, a memorial fund to continue Katie’s legacy and raise funds for the causes close to the family’s heart. Over the years, they have raised more than £162,000 in Katie’s memory. 

Nick said: “I’ve supported Little Havens for years because I know first-hand how much their care means to a family going through the toughest of times. They were there for us with Katie, and I want to make sure they can be there for every family across Essex who needs them. This challenge, along with all my other fundraisers over the years, is my way of giving something back.” 

Little Havens provides expert, compassionate care and support for babies, children and young people with incurable conditions, and their families, across Essex. All of this care is provided free of charge, made possible by the generosity of the local community. 

Susie May, Challenge Fundraiser at Havens Hospices, said: “We’re so grateful to Nick for taking on such a brilliantly creative challenge. Supporters like Nick mean families across the county can rely on Little Havens to be there for them when they need us most.” 

You can cheer Nick on and sponsor his Southend-to-Southend ride at justgiving.com/page/nick-hart-4.

Published 17th June 2026