A BOY from York is gearing up to tackle a coast-to-coast bike ride to help raise funds for a "life-changing" expedition to Peru.

Harvey Colley, 13, of Wigginton, has the opportunity to travel to Peru in the summer of 2019 where he would be helping locals to build a house.

He has been offered the chance to join the four-week expedition by Joseph Rowntree School, where he is a year 9 pupil.

The trip is being organised by Camps International and Harvey will be joined by a group of young people from schools in York and across the country.

He needs to raise £4,350 to take part in the expedition, so next month he will take on a coast-to-coast bike ride with his dad Richard.

They will be riding 140 miles from Whitehaven, Cumbria, to Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear, over three days, from August 10 to 12.

Harvey said: "I feel a tiny bit nervous because I am going away from home for four weeks stopping in tents in Peru and I haven’t been away from home for this long.

"I want to take part in the expedition because it would be a life-changing experience and it will help me get UCAS points which will give me a possibility to apply for university in the future.

"I hope to develop my social skills by interacting with others more and to think about other people a bit more that have less than my family."

He added: "The bike ride is going to be quite challenging but I think I will be able to achieve this goal. I have never done anything like this before, I only bike to do my paper round and to school. Right now I am training for the bike ride with my dad and I have recently done a 50-mile ride with a few friends of my dad’s and that was challenging but I got through it."

His mum Lucy added: "It is an exciting and life-changing opportunity for him. The benefits are brilliant.

"As his mother I'm a bit concerned. He is quite young. It's is quite daunting going for four weeks."

To support Harvey and his fundraising, visit: https://paypal.me/pools/campaign/109288457914119817. Those wishing to donate will need a PayPal account.

Anyone struggling to make a donation can email Lucy at: colley403@gmail.com