Rugby friends, 12, named Fundraiser of the Year for 250-mile London to Paris charity bike ride

Two 12-year-old friends from Rugby who cycled 250 miles from London to Paris for a disability charity have been named Fundraiser of the Year at the Sense Awards 2026.

Iris and Esmae raised close to £18,000 for Sense, which supports Iris's sister Mia, BBC News reported. Mia, 19, was born with a rare genetic condition that left her blind and with cerebral palsy.

"Can I ask you a weird question?"

Iris said it all began with a phone call. "I phoned Esmae and said, 'Can I ask you a weird question? Would you want to cycle to Paris?'." Esmae said yes, and the pair went from there.

They set off from the London Eye on 23 June, crossed the South Downs to Newhaven and caught the ferry across the Channel, finishing at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris on 3 July. Iris's mum Fran cycled alongside them, with family friend Tina Downie and Iris's 73-year-old grandad, Ed, following in a support car.

Esmae said the second day was the hardest. "Day two, you had the most hills and they were really steep," she said. Fran remembered the South Downs in pouring rain. "But they were just so resilient," she said. "[But] they were laughing all the way to Paris."

"Oh my gosh, I've just cycled to Paris"

The finish took a moment to sink in. "Because we were going through the busy streets of Paris and it was really tense," Iris said. "Then we got to Notre Dame and I just kind of thought to myself, 'Oh my gosh, I've just cycled to Paris'."

The girls smashed their £10,500 target, with donations pouring in from strangers who followed their posts on social media. "We thought, 'Oh well, maybe they might raise a £1,000'," Fran said. "And now the total is nearly £18,000. People have donated large amounts anonymously. We still don't know who they are."

A surprise announcement

Sense revealed the award during an interview for the charity's social media channels. "They asked us a question, if we were to receive the award how would we feel?" Esmae said. "And then we said we'd feel really proud and then they said: 'Well good, because you've won it'."

Caroline Buckland, head of community fundraising at Sense, said the girls "caught the public's imagination". She said the money would help the charity support "more disabled people with complex needs to enjoy life to the full".

About Sense

Sense is a national charity that supports people with complex disabilities, including those who are deafblind, and their families, through services, care, advice and campaigning. It has centres and charity shops across the country.

For Iris, Esmae and their families, the award recognises a summer they will never forget, and a reminder of how much two determined 12-year-olds can achieve when they decide to do something. As Fran put it, "when they decide something, they normally make it happen."