To celebrate his eightieth birthday on May 6th, totally blind Tommy Mulholland cycled on a tandem with his pilot, seventy year old Bob Harber all the way from B.E.B.A Brighton to Paris to raise funds for a very worthy cause, Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice.

The Hospice cares for 300 children and young adults from 0-19 years of age with progressive life-shortening conditions and their goal is to provide the best quality of life for children, young people and their families, and to offer a total package of practical, social and spiritual support throughout each child’s life, however short it may be. It currently costs well over £3.5m each year to provide all the care services 
provided by Chestnut Tree House.

Tommy was attacked at a wages snatch at his company, Hygienic, and left blind in one eye. Years later at the age of 47 a blood clot caused by the injury haemorrhaged to cause him to lose his sight in the other eye.

After the mammoth cycle Tommy said “Did I enjoy it? No! It was jolly hard and exhausting work! Did I enjoy arriving in Paris to be met by my daughter and granddaughter? You bet I did! I got a great sense of achievement to know I did it and to know I was helping this wonderful charity in the work they do for their sick children patients.”

Tommy’s family added that he’s is such an inspiration and has achieved so much since he lost his sight.

This includes being an honorary member of the English and Welsh Blind Golf Association after being the Captain and raising money for them. He is a member of Bromley Lions and has raised thousands of pounds for them over the years, raises funds for the Greater London Fund for the Blind, organises an annual charity event for the ex-Boxers’ Association raising money for boxers suffering hardship and many other things. He was honoured with the Freedom of the City of London in November 2015.

Tommy also said “The sum raised is now around £21,000, but we are still hoping for some more.” 

If you would like to donate you can do so here.