Having reached the grand old age of 73,(now 74) mindful of my own mortality and not having been on my bicycle for some nine years, I was considering doing a challenge as a means of attaining a level of fitness with a sense of achievement.

In my role as a District Councillor on BDC representing the good people of Tardebigge Ward I was invited to The Primrose Hospice in Aston Fields earlier this year to an awards ceremony honouring numerous volunteers who had given their time over many years.

I was humbled by the stories of many volunteers and as I spoke to various people I was informed and reminded about the problems that the hospice has regarding fund raising etc.

The Hospice requires some £1.93 M a year to provide the services it does.

Less than 15% is provided by the NHS.

The Chancellors increase in National Insurance for employees has increased costs by £50K.

The very large shortfall is down to fundraising, donations and bequests.

I decided that if I could, I would like to try and raise some much needed funding for the Hospice, hence the proposed charity ride.

I, along with 3 friends, chose the date of 22nd June 2025 and I then worked out a route which is challenging enough but not too onerous, keeping away from main roads as much as possible.

I wanted to attract cyclists who have a bike in the garage but who haven’t used it for a while and who want to raise funds for the hospice and get fitter by doing some training. Something akin to Couch to 5K as a running analogy.

I would like potential cyclists to make contact with me asap with the expectation that they will raise at least £200 for the Hospice.

Primrose Hospice & Family Support Centre provides care and advice to patients living with a life-limiting illness and support for families in the North East Worcestershire area.

Thank you for enabling me to help them to care for those who need it most.