Rapha founder Simon Mottram has launched the Cycle Challenge, a charity ride around Richmond Park to help raise awareness of and raise money for TreeHouse, which supports children affected by autism.

Autism affects 1 in every 100 children. That means that every week, 115 of the babies born in the UK are likely to go on to receive a diagnosis of autism. Children with autism have profound difficulties with communication, imagination and social skills. Parents of children with autism are told that education is the only thing proven to unlock the potential of their children, offering them a better future. TreeHouse exists to transform through education the lives of children with autism and the lives of their families.

The Cycle Challenge will raise money to buy equipment for TreeHouse, an organisation which looks after Simon’s son Oscar.

“Oscar has attended TreeHouse for the last 9 years,” says Simon. “Perhaps not surprisingly, one of Oscar’s favourite activities at school and at home is cycling. He enjoys riding a trike at school and ‘tags along’ behind my bike in Richmond Park at weekends. But, for more children and young adults at TreeHouse to be able to enjoy cycling, the school urgently needs more bikes and cycling equipment.”

“To raise money for this equipment, I have organised a ‘Cycle Challenge’ to be held in Richmond Park, London on Sunday 7 June 2009. The Cycle Challenge will involve Oscar and other TreeHouse children riding a full lap of Richmond Park as a relay. Pashley and Evans cycles have kindly agreed to supply the bikes and specialist equipment we need.“

You can find more information about the ride and about TreeHouse at www.treehouse.org.uk. If anyone would like to sponsor the ride by donating funds, you can do so at http://www.justgiving.com/cycleforautismeducation.