On Friday, 28 July, the challenge will kick off on a route passing iconic landmarks in Glasgow, Newcastle, Amsterdam, Osnabruck, Hannover, Potsdam, and finally, Berlin, where the pair first hatched the plan to go into business together while in a bar in the city with the same name.

HAUS Director Jim Webster said: “Berlin isn’t just a destination; it’s where Murray and I decided to build a company together. We are very grateful for a decade of success and want to mark this milestone by doing something to support those who’ve had a much harder ride in life. We chose The Marie Trust, who work tirelessly to support people affected by homelessness in Glasgow and beyond.”

HAUS Director Murray Henderson said: “The significance of home is more than just a physical building. It’s a safe haven, and for many people, it’s a distant dream. We chose The Marie Trust because their mission to provide long-term solutions for homelessness aligns with our own commitment to good design that benefits communities and fosters sustainable growth.

“This cycling challenge means a lot to Jim and me as we are going back to where it all began and will give us time to reflect and consider the next ten years and our ambitious plans to grow beyond the UK.”

Frances McKinlay, Chief Officer of The Marie Trust, said: “We are very grateful HAUS has chosen to raise funds for our charity. We provide a range of services, supporting those who are homeless or at- risk, with an emphasis on respect for each person’s dignity and a commitment to sustainable solutions.”

Supporters can follow the cycle challenge across HAUS social media platforms, and a JustGiving page has been set up to collect donations: justgiving.com/page/haus10yearanniversarycharitycycletoberlin

The Marie Trust

The Marie Trust provides a range of services, supporting those who are homeless or at- risk, with an emphasis on respect for each person’s dignity and a commitment to sustainable solutions.

The Marie Trust has shared with us a first-hand account of their services from one of the people they support.

Service to my life

When I was first introduced to The Marie Trust, they helped me gain the self-confidence that I lost when I worked in a call centre. I first started off volunteering in the kitchen doing tasks like washing the cutlery, plates, etc. I learned how to cut vegetables and make fresh soup and cook from scratch. I did my food hygiene training with them during that time and a few other courses to build my confidence and help me develop structure in my week.

When The Marie Trust moved into its new premises and opened officially in 2023, I gained more education doing a Volunteering Experience Course and with other learners designed a leaflet to tell our neighbours about the services as we wanted to highlight the work the charity does for us in our own words and help people understand the work it does to help people exit homelessness, it isn’t all about feeding people but helping people to grow and move on to better things. I also gained the confidence to enrol in a radio course with Sunny Govan Radio and now have my own podcast. Because of this, I wanted to highlight the work the charity did for me, so I did my first interview with the volunteer coordinators at The Marie Trust to talk about their work.

To top it off I did a one-day course in barista at The Marie Trust which I took to help me move into other volunteering roles as a barista within The Marie Trust then progressed into a more in-depth barista course which gave me more knowledge and insight into that sector and allowed me to make a variety of coffees for the people who come in daily.

The Marie Trust has had an impact on my life by helping me grow as a person and gain new experiences and skills that will help me in my life and move on into work. I am now volunteering three days a week as a barista and attending a storytelling course at The Marie Trust to help build more skills and qualifications.