Clerkenwheels
A cycling, podcast, fundraising adventure from Plymouth to Clerkenwell for:
‘Let’s raise £10k – go big or go home,’ said Jonathan. So, this 260 mile, five day adventure will see the pair doing their best to raise £10,000 to be invested directly into the foundation of the programme. Our adventurers would be chuffed to receive any contribution to helping them get close to Jonathan’s big kahunas total.
We'll focus on outreach in areas with the highest need and lowest access to the creative industries to support 1,000 young people. These include places with high levels of students on free school meals and low participation in creative education, right across the UK.
DonateAs of Thursday 18th December 2025, for up to the minute tracking on our fundraising total, we've moved to the Just Giving donation platform. All previous donations paid directly to United in Design stand and will go directly to the Education & Outreach programme.
One warm Wednesday night in May, somewhere in Clerkenwell, two industry friends came up with an idea: let’s cycle from Plymouth to Clerkenwell for the start of Design Week. We could chat to some people on the way, look at some good stuff and raise a bit of money for charity. And here we are, in the cold light of day, a couple of months later, trying to bring everything together and create an adventure for the whole commercial interior design industry to share in, at least once. And maybe every year after that.
Our two friends first met at St Pancras International more than five years ago to board the Eurostar to Lille. One an experienced interior designer keen to learn more, the other a marketer looking for expert insight. With the tentative hello out of the way and the cossetting seats of Premier Class (these boys know how to roll) underneath them, they quickly absorbed themselves in bike chat and jumped off at Lille with a friendship made in gear ratios and gradients.
Podcaster, Lecturer and Interior Designer, Jonathan Forster has spent over three decades in the industry. With his passion for design, work with the next generation as Award Leader and Lecturer at University of Plymouth and through his podcast, Multi Story Thinking, Jonathan is a champion of the interior design industry.
Creative director and advocate of truth in the field of sustainability, Tom Bourne co-heads a marketing agency that has been specialising in the flooring and commercial interiors sector for more than 25 years. As he prefers a life away from the fluffy microphones of podcast fame, Tom is playing the domestique role and will be shoving Jonathan’s bidons up his jersey.
The journey begins in Plymouth, some 267 miles from the glittering lights and window displays of Clerkenwell. Covering more than 18,000ft of elevation over five days, ur pedalling podcasters will take a daily stop to chat with people from across the design and interiors industry. The results will be broadcast in a special series of video episodes for Jonathan’s Multi Story Thinking podcast.
The pair will weave their way through the picturesque Devon countryside. On their way they’ll pass through the towns of Ivybridge, Totnes and Torquay before coming to their final stop of the leg in Topsham, a historic port town located on the east side of the River Exe.
Leaving the Devon town of Topsham, day two takes in the market town of Honiton, near the River Otter, as the pair head towards Somerset.
Cycling just over 60 miles with 5,700ft of elevation the day will end in Sherborne on the edge of Blackmore Vale. The pretty market town is famed for its honey-coloured stone buildings and the dramatic ruins of Sherborne Old Castle.
The shortest day of Clerkenwheels is probably a good thing as the route takes in Shaftesbury’s legendary Gold Hill, a Classics-esque cobbled climb immortalised in the Hovis TV advert of the 1970s. With a gradient topping out at a whopping 17.9%, this punchy hill is sure to test their climbing legs!
The ride continues to clock-up the miles with a total of 165 by the time Jonathan and Tom reach their destination of Salisbury.
After a well-earned rest to recover from Gold Hill, day four sees the ride set out from the previous day’s final stop in Salisbury. On route to Farnham in Surrey, Clerkenwheels will ride through the streets of Winchester, England’s ancient capital.
On the edge of the South Down’s National Park, this cathedral city marks 60 miles as the crow flies to London. Continuing on, Jonathan and Tom will call an end to day four when they reach Farnham, after riding 57 miles across 3,047ft of elevation.
The final leg sees the run into London as Clerkenwheels heads for Clerkenwell Design Week.
Joined by fellow cyclists from United in Design and anyone from the industry who wants to embrace a more diverse design industry, the pair will finally reach the streets of Clerkenwell having covered an impressive 267 miles with over 18,000ft of climbing and hopefully having raised £10,000 for young people across the UK.
Based somewhere loosely between Plymouth and Clerkenwell as the crow flies, we’re looking for design studios, manufacturers and makers that specialise in commercial interiors.
Your space must be able to accommodate a small amount of portable studio equipment and have a low-noise area for recording. Of course, Jonathan and Tom would be happy to have you join them for a few miles on the route beforehand or after – the original idea was for an ‘on bike’ podcast – or simply meet them at your studio and wave goodbye as the push themselves off into the sunset.
Clerkenwheels will be a feature series in Jonathan's Multi Story Thinking podcast that unravels the mystery of interior design. Episodes feature colour expert Justine Fox, Jessica Long and Alicia Nelson of Nelson and Long, Simon Hamilton, Daniel Heath, Naomi Cleaver and others.
Listen to the latest episode:
Our pair will be turning their cranks over in support of diversity in the industry. As two middlish-aged white men, they are only too aware of they need to encourage a new generation of interior designers (or podcasters, or marketers) from across diverse cultural, social and economic backgrounds into the industry.
As each hard mile passes, and each bead of sweat undoubtedly falls; Tom and Jonathan will take comfort knowing that their effort to reach Clerkenwell in time for Tuesday will be doing some genuine good.
Pupils from Woodmansterne High School in Streatham visited KLC School of Design for the day with taster lectures and a workshop to create a mood board for an imagined interior scheme.
Jonathan and Tom will be cycling in support of United in Design's Education and Outreach Programme to transform the lives of 1,000 young people across the UK.
This programme tackles one of the creative industry’s biggest challenges: too many talented young people are shut out of careers simply because they don’t know what’s possible or how to get there. Through a classroom facilitated programme, we aim to achieve:
Introducing young people to the world of interiors and creative careers to close the knowledge gap.
Equip young people with the tools to plan their future and build creative skills to close the gap.
Connect young people to real world workplaces and professionals to establish a network with diverse outreach.
Clerkenwheels is always open. Whether you would like to play a part yourself in getting on your bike on any part of the journey, or would like to support United in Design as a corporate supporter for the event, just email us.
Our listed sponsorship packages are open to all companies interested in changing the design industry for the better. Please contact us to confirm availability.
We're also seeking partners for clothing, kit and nutrition (or anything to help make our adventure slightly more comfortable).
Exclusive naming rights as "Clerkenwheels powered by ...", logo prominently featured on all materials, jerseys, and communications, plus speaking opportunity at launch and finish event.
Large logo placement on team jerseys, event materials, and social media, booth space at launch and finish events, and recognition in all press releases.
Medium logo on jerseys and marketing materials, social media shout-outs throughout the journey, and certificate of appreciation.
Small logo on jerseys and marketing materials, website recognition, and social media mentions.
Name listed on website and thank you posts on social channels.
We're actively seeking clothing, equipment, nutrition and accommodation partnerships.
Follow our intrepid adventurers on their journey to Clerkenwell as they post news, training updates, podcasters and more on United in Design:
United in Design Charitable Trust is a Registered charity in England and Wales No. 1192413