York business leader to cycle 1,000 miles to help lonely people – inspired by his gran

York businessman Dan Croxen-John is to cycle nearly 1,000 miles to help older people experiencing loneliness and isolation. 

Dan, 53, is planning to pedal from Land’s End to John o’Groats in ten days.

And he hopes to raise £12,000 for charity Re-engage, which helps those aged 75-plus form friendships through free tea parties and its phone befriending service. 

Dan, the chief executive of e-commerce company AWA, said he was inspired to do the challenge by his grandmother.

“When my grandfather died my gran, Lou, told me how lonely she was. That upset me, thinking of her alone and with not much to look forward to. So, I vowed to do something about older people feeling lonely. 

“As time has gone on, I have become clear that I want to help reduce loneliness amongst older people.” 

He will set off from Camborne on 28 May and plans to finally get off the saddle on 7 June in John o’Groats. 

He will be joined on the ride by friends, Karl Palin and Chris Colcutt, who are all members of the York Pedallers Group. 

Dan, who lives with partner Jane and their four children in York, has previously run electric rickshaw rides for older people in the city and donated an exercise bike that allows care home residents to enjoy virtually ‘cycling’ through whichever location and country takes their fancy. 

The money he raises will help Re-engage re-launch tea party groups across the UK, many of which had to be suspended during the pandemic.

It will also raise funds for the charity’s telephone befriending service which involves volunteers making regular phone calls to older people. 

Kitty Blackwell, director of fundraising and communications at Re-engage, said: “Dan is a fantastic volunteer and supporter of Re-engage and we are hugely thankful that he is undertaking this arduous ride to help lonely and isolated older people.”

If you want to help Dan raise money for Re-engage you can donate here. AWA Digital will match every £1 raised.