OVER £40,000 was raised for Challengers at Kelly’s Cycle Challenge, when nearly 400 riders took to their bikes and rode through picturesque villages and shady woodlands.

On average, each entrant raised around £100. There was a cheerful atmosphere at HQ, with families who had enjoyed a seven-mile forest ride carrying on the fun with a smoothie bike, little ride on area and kids cyclocross.

One very special entrant was Rachel Morris MBE, the gold medal Paralympian who is on her comeback trail after undergoing major shoulder surgery shortly after the 2016 Paralympics.

Participants enjoyed refreshments from Iain Spigs’ BBQ and drinks from the Music Works Coffee Co.

Farnham Chiropractic Wellness Centre offered its services free and gave all donations straight to Challengers.

A special thanks also went to Tootsies Private Day Nursery which donated brownies and flapjacks at each feed station.

Laura Sercombe, CEO of Challengers, said: “What an amazing day, we just cannot thank everyone enough who attended the event and supported Challengers. 

“A very special thank you to the amazing Kelly’s Storage Charity Events team who pulled out all the stops to make one of the best events ever! 

“The money raised will make a huge difference to the families that access Challengers with every penny raised going towards an amazing summer holiday full of great activities, countless smiles and days filled with friendships. 

“Challengers are always trying to challenge the barriers to play and enable disabled children to have the same access to play as non-disabled children. Organisations like Kelly’s help us do this and in turn are changing the way society views disability.”

Kelly’s Storage Charity Events and Challengers were both extremely grateful to all the volunteers who gave up their time to help on the day, including Farnham Lions, Tesco, Guildford, and six Surrey University students.

You can still donate at charity.kellystorage.co.uk/Events/2018/Cycle-Challenge/donate. However, if you missed this event you can enter the ‘virtual’ version until June 3 by going to charity.kellystorage.co.uk/Events/2018/VIRTUAL-EVENT-Kelly-s-Cycle-Challenge/Details.