London to Paris cycle ride raises over £16,000 for Almshouse

Steve Hasler, a trustee of the Saffron Walden Almshouses charity, completed his four-day cycle from Greenwich to the centre of Paris on Saturday 25th July 2026 to help raise money for Project Crocus, which will see 16 new almshouses being built in Saffron Walden.  Riding with 95 others, Steve finished at the Trocadero overlooking the Eiffel Tower having cycled the last 2km in an escorted peloton around the Arc de Triomphe, down the Champs-Élysées and across the finish line of the Tour de France.

 

Riding for Saffron Walden almshouses to raise funds for Project Crocus, Steve has so far received sponsorship totalling £8,184 including Gift Aid on his Just Giving website which is being doubled by an anonymous donor to give a current total of £16,368.  The funds raised will help to reduce the final fundraising gap for this £6m project, which now is well under £400,000.

 

Reflecting on his fundraising challenge, Steve said:

 

“I’m a keen cyclist and I’m often cycling around the local country lanes, but cycling down the Champs-Élysées in a large peloton the day before the Tour de France was due to finish in the same place was definitely a once in a lifetime experience.  The ride across northern France was hilly in parts with really fast flat sections and, thankfully, it was cooler at 19 to 22°C and we had a tailwind!

 

“I have way exceeded my fundraising target, which is thanks to everyone who has generously sponsored and supported me. Project Crocus will benefit over 300 people during the first 100 years of the new building and it will be transformational for the almshouses and the town, increasing our provision of social housing to the local community. It would be great to get to a final overall total of £17,000 – and there’s still time to donate on my Just Giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/page/stevehaslerkevi

 

Saffron Walden Almshouses provides affordable housing for people of limited means aged 18 or over. Often for those who would not sit high on the local council’s waiting list, but are in desperate need of secure and safe accommodation.  In that way, the service is often transformative, keeping families living close together and helping people get their lives back on track.  As such, the almshouses are a core part of the wider Saffron Walden community, with the charity having had a presence in the town since the 1400s.