JAMES Shone, the founder of I Can & I Am, a charity that nurtures self-belief in young people, is setting off on a 400km cycle ride around the circumference of Somerset.
The four-day cycle is part of a fundraising drive to raise upwards of £35,000. This would pay for a third double-decker bus from which to deliver the charity’s workshops and support 33% more young people at schools in the South of England.
Shone, an inspirational speaker and former teacher, set up I Can & I Am in 2015 after losing the majority of his sight due to a brain tumour in 2012. The charity visits hundreds of schools every year, including primary, secondary, private, and SEN schools, to help nurture self-belief in young people by equipping them with practical tools that foster personal growth, a sense of belonging and resilience. This proactive support builds self-belief and mental wellbeing.
A team of experts run the charity’s workshops on two double-decker buses, parked on school grounds, and have supported over 30,000 young people to date. With bookings at capacity, the charity is now fundraising to buy and refurbish a third bus, which will cost in excess of £35,000.
Shone will set off on two wheels on a tandem bike with colleague Anthony Dutton, Operations Manager at I Can & I Am. The riders will set off on Sunday 10 August on a gruelling route, which includes Porlock Hill, the steepest A road in England with a gradient of up to 25%, before ending at Bath Abbey on Wednesday 13 August.
James Shone, who also delivers his message of self-belief in presentations to young people, teachers, parents and businesses, said:
“This ride is certainly going to be a challenge but it’s also poignant for two reasons. Last August, I experienced another stroke followed by an accident which resulted in six weeks in hospital and a long period of recovery, and it means a lot to me personally to be getting back on the bike, both physically and metaphorically.
“For the charity, we’re thrilled to be marking our 10-year milestone in 2025. It feels right that at this juncture we are looking ahead at building on our achievements so far and funding a third double-decker bus so that we can extend the work that our incredible team of workshop leaders is doing. We are always invited back to every school we visit, and we would love to do more, so that is our goal and motivation.”
Sessions on the bus begin with cooking a pizza downstairs to foster a sense of togetherness and achievement, followed by a workshop upstairs that focuses on inflating the young participants’ balloons of self-belief.
This is the second time that James Shone and Anthony Dutton are cycling on a tandem together to raise money for the charity, having cycled from Bath to Big Ben in 2021.
Dutton said:
“James is an incredible and unstoppable force. He inspired me when we cycled together four years ago, but I think the distance and type of cycling is going to be a bigger challenge this time, both for me with full eyesight as much as for James. But I know that we can do it, particularly with some cheering at the right moments and knowing that we’re raising funds that will bring our workshops to more young people – that is what will power us on!”
The charity is asking for supporters to cheer on the tandem duo, share the charity’s story, and, if possible, to also donate. For example, the cost per child for a session on the bus is £17, or ingredients for 60 pupils to make pizza is £50.
