A 12-YEAR-old scout is virtually cycling from Poole to Uganda to raise money for his scout group's expedition.

Dylan Good is fundraising for the first Wessex Scouts of Bournemouth return expedition to Uganda in 2022.

The group has been visiting Uganda since 2010, building a vocational training centre for orphans and vulnerable children of the Jinja district.

Their last visit was in 2016 where the group added more classrooms to the building following years of fundraising.

Their next trip was due to take place in 2021 but with the coronavirus pandemic putting a spanner in the works, it has been postponed to 2022, providing the scouts with an ample opportunity to fundraise.

Dylan's enjoyment of cycling with friends is what propelled him towards virtually cycling 6,223 miles to fundraise for the trip.

He said: "I prefer cycling to other forms of exercise but it is quite tiring. The longest I have cycled in a day for this challenge is two hours."

Since starting the challenge on Monday, May 25, Dylan reached the outskirts of Southampton in the space of two days and hopes to reach Portsmouth Harbour in the next few days.

Dylan's father, Paul Good said: "When Dylan told me about the challenge, I could hear the excitement in his voice and could tell that he really wanted to do it. I'm encouraging him to keep going."

Dylan aims to raise £2,500 by April 2022 to contribute to the £55,000 required to embark on the trip and build dormitories for the vocational training centre in Uganda.

Group Scout Leader and Expedition Leader, Paul Stevens said: "The things that we do will be life-changing for the residents and give the scouts a good insight into what life in Uganda is like.

"Everyone is doing their bit to raise funds."

To support Dylan's 6,223 mile cycle ride, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/pooletouganda