Last year I was in a coma now I’m riding the UK coastline on an e-trike with my dog, but I need your help
A charity rider travelling the UK coastline on an e-trike with his dog is appealing for help in the Blackpool area after struggling to secure a place to stay.
Leigh Taylor, 45 from Cumbria, is making his way around the UK coastline on an e-trike - accompanied by his dog - and is appealing for support in the Blackpool area after struggling to find accommodation or a host for the night.
Leigh is currently travelling through Lancashire and has been documenting his journey online and says he is now approaching the coast near Blackpool with no confirmed place to stop.
In May 2024, Leigh was in a coma following a life-altering accident that left him with 40% burns and a long recovery ahead. Now, just over a year later, he is riding the UK coastline on an electric trike with his dog, Taco, as part of a challenge called Paws & Pedal.
Starting in Cumbria in July, the journey includes a symbolic ride to Newcastle’s RVI Hospital - where he was treated - before continuing on to circumnavigate the entire UK coastline, a route of up to 5,000 miles.
The expedition is both personal and charitable, raising awareness and funds for the Great North Air Ambulance and Newcastle Hospital Trust, the organisations he credits with saving his life.
Travelling entirely self-supported, Leigh and Taco are camping along the way, charging the trike where they can, and documenting the journey as they go.
Donations help cover essential travel costs as well as direct support for the charities with followers encouraged to support and share the campaign as the journey continues.
In a recent update, he told followers: “Good grief it’s hot! We’ve passed £12k in GoFundMe and 4k followers on Facebook… what an achievement.”
Despite the fundraising success and growing online support, practical challenges have left him in a difficult position.
Leigh, said: “I’m getting absolutely nowhere. It’s the first place in the UK that I’ve had this problem. It’s really, really difficult. No one responds. I’ve had no response from Facebook, no response from hotels or emails.
“Friends have been emailing hotels and calling hotels, but it’s just a no. I’m stuck in Carnforth anyway waiting for a delivery to change the tyres. But because it’s so hot, I might ride this evening.”
Leigh detailed his reasoning behind his cycle challenge, he said: “Two years ago I had a serious accident. I was airlifted to Newcastle Hospital and spent a summer in a coma with 40% burns.
“Through my recovery I decided I didn’t want to be stagnating. I didn’t really know my purpose for surviving, so I started this ride around the UK coastline as part of my recovery, raising money for the organisations that saved my life - Great North Air Ambulance and Newcastle Hospital Trust.
“We started at Newcastle Hospital and we’re going to finish there, riding the UK coastline anticlockwise.”
“My dog [Taco] sits on the back, riding with me.”
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He is currently paused in Carnforth awaiting delivery of new tyres, but says he intends to continue the journey later today. “It may well be a blessing in disguise though in this weather. So I’ve decided we’ll still ride today, it’ll just be a late one,” he added.
With temperatures high and no fixed stop planned, he described the latest leg of the trip as “the literal road to nowhere”, but remains hopeful that local support in the Blackpool area may yet come through.
You can follow their journey on Instagram and YouTube: @phoenix_leigh or you can help and donate here.