A CHARITY worker has raised thousands of pounds for kids in the East End of Glasgow by cycling 1200 milesacross Vietnam on a £50 bike.

A CHARITY worker has raised thousands of pounds for kids in the East End of Glasgow by cycling 1200 milesacross Vietnam on a £50 bike.

Ben Williams hoped to inspire the youngsters he works with in Dalmarnock to see beyond local turf wars and realise what they can achieve.

The 21-year-old, from Knightswood, started cycling to work last year after a friend picked up a bike for £50 at a police auction.

On one of his regular trips he hit on the idea of a sponsored cycle to raise funds for Save the Children's Young East End Speaking (YES) project, which he helps run.

He opted for Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City to see a part of the world he had never visited before.

Ben said: "I hope the young people I work with will realise that, if I can do something like this, so can they."

Most of his trek took him through remote villages, where he was inspired by the generosity of the Vietnamese, many living in poverty.

He said: "One night, I was trying to find a place to sleep. A family took me in, fed me and even helped me learn Vietnamese with a dictionary.

"And when I left, they wouldn't take anything for my bed and board."

The marathon road trip almost ended prematurely when the bike broke down, but a local man fixed it sufficiently to enable Ben to get home.

He said: "People might suffer financial poverty but that doesn't mean they don't have the skill and imagination to get things done."

The YES project works to build up young people's confidence and give them a say in decisions that affect their area.

Susan Fisher, assistant Scotland programme director for Save the Children, which oversees the YES Project, said: "Ben's commitment to the young people of the East End and the YES Project is inspiring and he has raised much needed funds for this work."

Ben said: "There is real poverty in the East End and a lot of young people don't get a chance.

"They don't really see beyond the local territory and a major part of my job is helping them to realise life has so much more to offer them."