A former soccer player plans to wear Lycra for a cycling challenge around the football club to show the 'red card' to human trafficking.
Dave Hodgson, Steve Vickers and Neil Maddison board five clubs in theNortheast – Newcastle UnitedSunderlandHartlepool United,Middlesbrough,Darlington – 19 August, United Nations World Humanitarian Day.
They will be joined by his group of 20 cyclists, including Gordon Miller. Gordon Miller raised funds for his community interest company Ride for Freedom's "Freewheel Program," which allows survivors of modern-day slavery to cycle and help. organized. their physical and mental health.
(left to right) Hodgson, Maddison, Vickers (Gordon Miller/PA)
Mr Miller of London told PA News The agency said Hodgson reached out to him and "asked how impressed he was with the Ride for Freedom vision and if he could support the ride in the Northeast."
"We talked about it and he approached five professional football clubs in the area and offered to invite a few former football players to join him on this ride."
}Miller said, "By cycling to a club that has a large name recognition and fan base, it raises awareness not only of many people, but of the club's own problems."
Modern Slavery Is Too Much In Our Communities And A Problem Affecting Football – And I use Gordon and Ride for Freedom's mission of cycling to raise awareness and help survivors cycle the Freewheel Program
Dave Hodgson
He said:
He added that the ride would enhance his company's Show A Red Card campaign, which focuses on human trafficking in football. According to the 2020 Human Trafficking Report, 15,000 victims are trafficked annually in the name of football in Europe alone.
Mr Hodgson said he had a personal connection with Mr Darlington as he managed his football club for three terms in his ten years from 1995 until 2006. He said he was "delighted" to support this transition.
Gordon Miller organized a cycle of football clubs (James Aubry/PA)
and issues affecting football . I would like to thank Gordon and Ryde for his support of Four Freedom's mission to use cycling to raise awareness and support survivors to cycle through the Freewheel program," he said.
He also played for Middlesbrough, Liverpool, Norwich City, Sunderland and Sheffield his Wednesday over the course of his football career.
Former Middlesbrough player Maddison said that "football clubs can play a big role in ending human trafficking," and that biking is "a great way to spread the message."
Gordon Miller Cycling (James Aubry/PA)
Former Middlesbrough player Vickers added: I was. Join us on this bike to support Ride For Freedom's "Show A Red Card" campaign and highlight what's going on.
Miller has two Guinness World Records and is no stranger to adventurous cycles.
The first thing he did was his October 2020 "Biggest GPS Drawing by Bicycle (Personal)" to spell out "End Modern Slavery." In England he cycled 620.5 miles (620.5 miles). His second in October 2021 was "the longest distance an electric bike has traveled in his week" when he biked 1,060 miles (1,060 miles) across Spain.
Gordon Miller (center) with his community interest company (James Aubry/PA) cyclist (James Aubry/PA)
Modern slavery survivors were provided with donated bicycles and accessories for use by community benefit companies, and road awareness training through government-sanctioned bikeability schemes. My cycling skills have also improved. ''