AMBITIOUS Peter Noone aims to cycle from London to Paris to raise £2,500 to fund respite activities for young carers in Swindon.

Peter, 49, a trustee of Friends Of Young Carers Swindon, hopes to pedal about 320 miles to generate funds for the local charity.

He said he was inspired partly by a desire to provide activities for local children who look after their parents and partly by an ambition to do something amazing before his 50th birthday next year.

Peter, a father-of-one from Peatmoor, said: “Like a lot of smaller charities, we have a battle to raise funds compared with some of the big national charities because we haven’t got the exposure.

“I am confident I will succeed. If I think back to when I first had this idea, I have gone from a standing start and relatively unfit to being the fittest I have been in probably 30 years.”

Peter started training for the London To Paris Cycle Ride in late January, working out regularly in the gym and cycling up to 75 miles at weekends in the Wiltshire countryside.

His first major training challenge ahead of the fundraising ride will be the Great Western Sportive Ride on June 20, when he will tackle a 100-mile trip, starting and finishing at Nationwide’s headquarters and taking in the Marlborough Downs and Lambourne Valley.

“The reason I am doing all this training is I want to complete it but I want to enjoy it at the same time,” said Peter, who owns Shrivenham-based design and marketing firm Virtual Group.

“I’m not going to set any speed records but I am confident I will arrive there four days later without any mishaps.”

Peter and 64 other challengers plan to start at Blackheath Common on July 28 and reach the Eiffel Tower four days later, taking the ferry from Calais.

During the journey, the group hopes to cover an average of 80 miles a day. Peter has so far raised a total of £1,075 in sponsorship.

He generated about £160 of this by organising a gig at a bar in Lanzorote after being stranded abroad in April due to the volcanic ash. To sponsor Peter, visit www.charitygiving.co.uk/peternoone or email peter@ virtual-group.co.uk.