A Greenwich man is trying to raise money so his brain-damaged friend can visit the local forests in his wheelchair.

Tom Hatton used to go travelling and hiking with his friend Matty all the time, but a cycling accident two years ago cut their time together short.

Tom, 36, said: “Since Matty's accident he hasn't been able to join us for more recent adventures. He still needs the outdoors though - I can see it in his face every time we've been able to take him out on a trip.

“Matty now lives with 40 other patients at the Holy Cross Hospital, a wonderful place with some amazing staff and brilliant facilities.

“It's set in some really nice woodland, but this isn't wheelchair accessible and that doesn't seem right.”

Tom, alongside many other people connected to the hospital, are trying to raise the money to build a wooden path into the forest so people there can visit.

The Treehouse Project will see a 15-metre walkway that leads out onto a viewing platform into the forests behind the West Sussex hospital, home to a wide variety of wildlife including deer.

To raise money, Tom, who is a social worker for Greenwich Council, is cycling from his home in Greenwich to Portugal and admits he isn’t really equipped to deal with the challenges ahead.

He said: “I have zero survival skills and zero mechanical skills. I don't speak any languages with any degree of fluency.

“If something goes wrong with my bike I literally have no idea what I'll do. Call my dad probably. Which will be cool. At 36.

“The Treehouse Project seeks to provide some outside space for Matty and the other patients at the hospital. Somewhere to chill, take a breath of fresh air and soak in what is around them.

“I am genuinely lucky to have the choice, funds and health to do things like this. It’s an opportunity to make things better for some people who both need and deserve it.”

The Treehouse Project has raised over £1,000 so far, and Tom’s funding page has added £290 to that. His fundraising page is here: https://gogetfunding.com/greenwich-to-portugal/

One donator added a helpful comment informing him of the Portuguese for “can you mend a puncture” – which is “is você pode consertar uma punção”.