York to Brighton: 500km, Two Charities and One Very Long Journey

Five hundred kilometres.

It's one of those distances that doesn't sound quite so bad until you start thinking about how far it actually is.

From York to Brighton, crossing England by bicycle and on foot, with the aim of raising money for two charities doing some incredible work.

That was the challenge I set myself in 2025.

Looking back, it was also the beginning of something that would eventually become much bigger than one fundraising event.

But the idea started with a friend, a rowing machine and a cause that meant a great deal to me.

From 41 miles on a rowing machine to 500km across England

Earlier in 2025, my good friend Mark Karvounis took on a 41-mile rowing challenge to raise money for the Charlie Dallas Lancaster Foundation.

Mark had personally benefited from the charity's support, and watching him put everything into that event was pretty inspiring.

A group of friends came together to support him, and our business, Inspire Audio Visual, helped with some of the equipment required on the day.

The event raised £7,296 for CDLF.

But something else happened too.

It got me thinking about what I could do to contribute.

I've always had an interest in physical challenges and pushing myself, but this time there was a bigger reason behind it.

I wanted to use that effort to help people who might be facing a challenge that was far less visible than anything I was about to put myself through.

That's where York to Brighton came from.

Two charities worth making the journey for

The challenge was raising awareness and funds for two organisations: the Charlie Dallas Lancaster Foundation and Together for Cinema.

CDLF is a Yorkshire charity that exists in memory of Charlie Dallas Lancaster, working to raise awareness of mental health and support people and organisations making a difference.

It's a cause with a personal connection for me.

When I was younger, I struggled with my own mental health and was fortunate enough to receive professional therapy.

That experience changed the way I understood myself and helped shape the person I've become.

I know how valuable the right support at the right time can be. And I believe people should have the opportunity to access that help without facing unnecessary barriers.

The second charity, Together for Cinema, is particularly close to our professional world.

Working alongside the audiovisual industry, it designs and installs cinema rooms in children's hospices and other appropriate care settings around the UK.

At Inspire, we spend much of our working life creating home cinemas for private clients. They're wonderful spaces, but seeing similar technology used to give children, families and carers a little escape from incredibly difficult circumstances puts what we do into perspective.

Two very different charities, both making a difference to people's lives.

And both seemed worth travelling a rather long way for.

The challenge: York to Brighton

The plan was to cover approximately 500km from York to Brighton, using a combination of cycling and running.

The cycling portion would take us a considerable distance south, before the running section brought the challenge towards its finish.

I was fortunate to have Mat Cole alongside me throughout the cycling section, with other members of the team joining for the running.

Having people willing to commit their time, energy and support was a huge part of making the challenge possible.

Although the physical effort was my responsibility, an event like this is never really a solo achievement.

Somebody has to help with the route, the equipment, the organisation and all the little things that become rather important when you're spending that much time travelling under your own steam.

There's also something quite different about covering a long distance without simply getting into a car.

Five hundred kilometres becomes a succession of smaller targets.

The next stop. The next section of road. The next change of discipline. And eventually the final destination.

It changes the way you think about distance.

More importantly, it gives you plenty of time to think about why you're doing it.

Why we wanted to do something difficult

There's an obvious connection between physical challenges and mental health fundraising, but I think it's important not to confuse one with the other.

Getting out and exercising can be hugely beneficial for wellbeing. Spending time with good people, getting some fresh air and working towards a goal have all played a positive role in my own life.

But physical fitness isn't a substitute for professional mental health support.

That's precisely why CDLF matters.

We can encourage people to get out, talk, challenge themselves and build stronger friendships, while also recognising that sometimes somebody needs a trained professional to help them through whatever they're experiencing.

For me, the fundraising was about keeping that message visible.

You don't necessarily know what somebody else is going through.

And you never know when the right conversation, introduction or support might make a lasting difference.

Reaching Brighton and looking beyond the finish

Completing the journey to Brighton marked the end of the physical challenge, but it didn't feel like the end of the idea.

We'd brought people together, supported two worthwhile charities and shown what could happen when a group of friends committed themselves to something bigger than their usual routines.

The challenge also reinforced something I'd begun to appreciate through Mark's rowing event.

You don't need to be a large organisation to make a contribution.

A group of friends, a few supportive businesses and people willing to give their time can achieve a great deal.

That thinking eventually developed into The Hard Mile, a collective built around physical challenges, community and raising money for others.

In July 2026, we took things a step further with a non-stop 500km running relay from Scotland to Thirsk, involving six friends and raising more than £34,000 for CDLF.

You can read about that challenge here.

What started with Mark rowing 41 miles had become something with a life of its own.

The reason behind the miles

When people hear about a 500km cycle and run, it's natural to focus on the distance.

But the part I hope people remember is why we did it.

Both CDLF and Together for Cinema exist to make difficult situations a little easier for others.

The physical challenge gave us a way to attract attention, bring supporters together and direct that attention towards something genuinely worthwhile.

And if our efforts encouraged even a few more people to learn about those organisations, support their work or reach out for help, then the journey had a purpose beyond simply getting to Brighton.

You can learn more about CDLF, Together for Cinema and The Hard Mile.

We've also shared more about why Inspire Audio Visual continues to support CDLF.

The miles were difficult. The reasons for doing them were straightforward.