Former student takes on remarkable challenge

Former Worth student Simon Jones has quit his hectic corporate job to embark on an extraordinary 35,000km journey around the globe in support of World Land Trust, an international conservation charity supported by Sir David Attenborough.

Simon, who was in St Bede’s and left in 1998, is a former commercial lawyer who set off yesterday from the village of Thakeham in West Sussex. He will cycle across multiple continents including Europe, Asia, Oceania and South America, climbing a mountain on each one and combining extreme physical challenge with a clear environmental mission.

World Land trust is a charity which works with local partners to purchase and protect threatened ecosystems. With biodiversity loss and climate change accelerating worldwide, the campaign highlights a simple but powerful solution: £100 can fund the permanent protection of (on average) one acre of threatened land. The goal is to raise £1 million – enough to safeguard 10,000 acres of vital habitat.

Simon said: “Protecting nature can sometimes feel overwhelming. The World Land Trust offers a direct and effective way to make a difference. If this journey inspires people to protect a single acre, it will be worth every mile.”

Dan Bradbury, Director of Brand and Communications at World Land Trust, said: “By shining a light on our work throughout his journey, he is showing people everywhere that safeguarding vital habitat is not only possible but essential for the future of wildlife and communities alike.”

Service is central to each worth pupil’s journey at Worth. All pupils are encouraged to see themselves as an asset and involvement in service enables them to make a positive difference in their own and the wider community. We hope Old Worthians will continue this in their lives beyond Worth and it is lovely to hear about Simon’s remarkable challenge.

You can follow Simon's journey, donate and track progress toward the 10,000-acre target via: https://www.simoncyclestheworld.com/

Worth Society is the School’s thriving alumni association that enables former pupils and staff to stay in touch with one another for business and social networking purposes, providing careers advice, support and lifelong guidance.

Worth likes to keep in touch with former students and regularly runs stories about their progress.

Read more about Worth Society here.