Bereaved man cycles 1,367 miles from Spain to Hackney in brother’s memory

A bereaved brother has made an “emotional” bike journey, from the Spanish city where his brother died to his hometown of Hackney, to raise money for a charitable trust set up in his name.

Stuart Feakins, of Stoke Newington, was just 41 when he died of pneumonia on holiday in Denia in 2008. He had worked for the Learning Trust and enjoyed mentoring youngsters in Hackney.

His family set up the Stuart Feakins Trust to carry on the work he was so passionate about, and the organisation works with young people to help raise their aspirations.

Stuart’s brother Andrew, 46, and friends Simon Thurston and Daniel Cocklin, are trying to raise �15,000 to split between the trust and Great Ormond Street Hospital.

They cycled 1,367 miles, or 2200km, from Denia to Hackney managed to raise about �9,000 in sponsorship money.

Andrew, who runs a headhunting company, said: “I thought about Stuart a lot. It was a hugely emotional journey.

“We had to cycle 110 miles - the equivalent of riding from London to Birmingham - for 13 days. It was hard, but there was never a point where we talked about giving up.”

The trio, who were joined by cycle enthusiast Nick Tyson for the last leg of the journey, set out on September 19, and returned home on October 2.

For more information about the Stuart Feakins Trust, visit www.thestuartfeakinstrust.com, or donate at www.justgiving.com/2200kmtoHackney.