Wiltshire bike ride raises funds for charity

A Wiltshire Council charity cycle-ride took place yesterday (Thursday 22 September), to raise funds for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and Wiltshire's Dorothy House Hospice.

The event, which last took place in 2019, was held in memory of the late Councillor Jerry Wickham.

50 riders from Wiltshire Council, along with public sector partners and Landmarc, took part in either a 30-mile route or a 100-mile route around Wiltshire, both starting and finishing at County Hall, Trowbridge.

Terence Herbert, Wiltshire Council's Chief Executive said: "This has been a great event taking in the beautiful scenery in Wiltshire, such as the Wylye Valley and Avebury. We are delighted that we were able to hold the event and honour Jerry's memory in this way.

"We hope that the funds raised will benefit these charities and the great work that they do, and in turn continue to help improve the lives of the people of Wiltshire.  Anyone wishing to donate, can still do so via the Justgiving.com - WC Charity Bike Ride (opens new window)."

Chris Wickham, Jerry's son, said, "As a family, we are so proud that the council has once again organised this event in honour of my dad. It was a privilege to be there at the start to wave the riders off, and I hope that the event will raise vital funds for Dorothy House Hospice and The Royal Marsden Cancer Trust - two charities that were dear to Dad's heart".

Wiltshire-based Landmarc Support Services (Landmarc) sponsored the event and had a number of riders taking part. Chris Ockleton, Landmarc's Regional Operations Manager for the Southwest, who also took part in the ride, said: "Our local communities are important to us, so it was an honour for me and the team to take part in this event to raise money for two such great causes. We really enjoyed the ride but even more importantly, our involvement provided us with opportunities to raise awareness of prostate cancer across our business. Thank you to Wiltshire Council for organising such a fantastic event, we were proud to be a part of it."

The Justgiving.com - WC Charity Bike Ride (opens new window) remains open and people are encouraged to donate what they can. The aim is to try and match the amounts raised for the previous charity bike rides held in 2018 and 2019, with donations being split as evenly as possible between the two charities.