ALMOST a dozen people are getting in the saddle for a cross-country cycling challenge to raise money for a Stourbridge cause.

Cyclists from across the country will converge on Wolverhampton on Friday, June 16, for the start of a one-day, 106 mile bike ride from the city out to Welsh coastal town of Aberdovey.

11 Black Country riders will be using the 25th anniversary of the annual Aberdovey Bike Ride to raise money for Mary Stevens Hospice – the biggest representation the charity has ever had at the event.

Dan Malin, digital media and PR specialist at Mary Stevens Hospice, said: “The challenge is a fantastic and high-profile event in our area, and to know that so many people have taken the opportunity to raise money for our families is so heart-warming.

“It's going to be an incredibly tough challenge for them but in doing so they will honestly change lives for families who rely on our support in their hour of need, and for that we can never truly express our gratitude.”

As well as the popular one-day event, there is also a four-day challenge – between Tuesday, June 13, to the Friday – which takes cyclists on a route covering more than 400 miles from Wolverhampton to Aberdovey, via Snowdonia.

The hospice will have a team representing them in the four-day challenge, who go under the collective name of ‘Team Fablass 5’.

Stourbridge News:

Gemma Dhaliwal will also be raising money for the Hagley Road hospice.

Charlotte Schofield, head of fundraising at Mary Stevens Hospice, said: “To tackle something of that magnitude requires a mental and physical capability that is just awe-inspiring and we're so privileged that they would choose to do something like this for us.

“The money they've already raised will make an enormous difference to a family here in their hour of need, and we think they're just the most incredible group of people.”

For more information about the Aberdovey Bike Ride, visit www.aberdoveybikeride.co.uk