A FATHER of three is cycling 1,100 miles in 11 days from Barry to Spain to raise funds for an Alzheimer’s charity.

Antony Jarvis, 56, of Dinas Powys, set off from Ty Hapus, in Holton Road, Barry, on Monday, July 24 with friends, family, and Ty Hapus staff sending him on his epic journey.

Ty Hapus is a unique daytime respite project which supports families struggling with the effects of early onset Alzheimer’s disease.

The charity works with the Alzheimer’s Society with the specially trained team providing a stimulating and interesting day at the project for guests suffering with the disease, while allowing their carers to have much needed break.

Ty Hapus guests are in their 50s and early 60s and often have dependent children and husbands and wives who still need to work.

Guests are often frightened and bewildered but at Ty Hapus they are cherished and made to feel secure and safe. They tend to stay at Ty Hapus for around two years as early onset Alzheimer’s is a very aggressive type of dementia and deterioration is rapid, to the point where guests need a more palliative type of care during the final stages.

Mr Jarvis, a chartered management accountant, has undertaken a number of cycling challenges from 2008 to the present day and raises money for Alzheimer’s charities having had family members suffer the disease.

In 2010 he cycled from Lands’ End to John O’Groats, raising money for the Alzheimer’s Society and in 2010 he raised money for Ty Hapus by cycling from Windsor to Cardiff Castles.

He cycled from St David’s Cathedral to Cardiff Castle, also in aid of Ty Hapus, in 2015.

Mr Jarvis said: “I wanted a challenge similar in distance to Land’s End to John O’Groats, but didn’t want the rain. It rained eight days out of 12 when I did that trip in 2010. I visited Barcelona in 2014 for a weekend, it wasn’t long enough so I promised myself a return trip.

“The desire to set myself a tough challenge and to revisit Barcelona combined to dictate the destination. A significant aspect of this trip isn’t the cycling 100 miles a day for 11 days, although that is going to be physically demanding, it’s going to be the fact that I will be going solo. “It’s lucky that I enjoy my own company.”

Donations can be made via justgiving.com/fundraising/antony-jarvis5 Visit, Facebook page Barry to Barcelona By Bike