BBC Newcastle presenter takes on cycling challenge for Kenyan charity

BBC Newcastle radio presenter Jon Harle celebrated his 60th birthday by cylcing from Newcastle to London to raise money for British charity Send A Cow.

Send a Cow helps farmers in some of the poorest parts of rural Africa to become self sufficient, with a single cow able to provide 3000 litres of milk in a year. This can not only provide sustenance for the family but also bring a steady stream of income.

Another benefit of owning a cow is the difference that their manure makes to crop yields.

When he set off on Saturday 3 June, Jon aimed to cycle about 60 miles a day, which he modestly said is "nothing for a proper cyclist, but it's a heck of a long way for [im] on a mountain bike. It's a bit like taking part in a Formula One race using a Land Rover."

He hoped to arrive in London a week later and he will be covering his journey via his Twitter account @jonharle1

Jon is covering all the costs himself, but hopes to raise enough money to send a cow to Africa through British Send A Cow who recently won an innovation prize at the Bon International Development Awards.

The cost to 'send a cow' is £750 to Send a Cow, which is Jon's initial target, but he said that he would "love to raise more than £1000 and be able to send one and a half cows!"

If you wouold like to support Jon's fund raising exercise, you can do so via his MyDonate page.