THE Morning Star’s Scotland reporter has set off on a 500-mile bike ride to Bournemouth in support of the CWU Humanitarian Aid (CWUHA).

Tasked with covering CWU conference in Bournemouth from Sunday, former postal worker Matt Kerr will make the journey in just three days in an effort to raise publicity and cash for the charity.

Formed initially by BT and postal workers to drive aid convoys to support children in Bosnia, over the last three decades the CWUHA has expanded to support a range of community projects in Britain and Tanzania.

The charity also runs more than 50 more convoys delivering aid and vital medical equipment to orphanages, refugee camps, and children’s and maternity hospitals across Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Transnistra and Albania.

CWUHA chair Carl Webb said: “We were truly impressed when Matt and his brother-in-law Phil cycled 1,000 miles across Scotland in just 10 days.

“They did this as a tribute to Matt’s father, Andy, and to raise money for CWUHA.

“Together, they raised over £5,000, which is especially impressive since they hadn’t done much cycling leading up to the challenge.

“Now, Matt is taking on an even bigger challenge for CWUHA. He will cycle 510 miles in just three days, starting from Ardrossan, Scotland, where his dad was born, and finishing at the CWU Conference in Bournemouth, where 1,000 delegates and visitors will cheer him on.

“Matt has already raised an impressive £4,250 before even starting his ride.

“Everyone at CWUHA is very proud of him, and every donation will help support our projects, with much of it going to community projects in Scotland.”

Before setting off, Mr Kerr told the Star: “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”