THE Farnham Charity Bike Ride which raises money for local charities has received a cash boost of more than £500 from Farnham photographer Sarah Angel.

Sarah has raised the money from her fundraising photography project called ‘Kids and their Bikes’.

Over the past year Sarah Angel has focused on capturing on camera the special relationship children have with their bikes and the freedom they experience when on two wheels.

In return for a donation to the Farnham Bike Ride Charity, participating families have received a 16x12” fine art print.

Commenting on her inspiration for the project, Sarah said: “I first had the idea for Kids and their Bikes some years ago but living in London, running a business and raising a young family meant I had very little spare time.

“However, when we moved to Farnham in 2016, the project presented a great opportunity to get involved in my new community and to explore the amazing outdoor spaces which are right on our doorstep.

“Kids and their Bikes has been hugely successful, and I would like to thank all the families who have so far taken part and contributed towards the Farnham Bike Ride Charity.

“I have met some wonderful Surrey families who take an all-weather approach to life and certainly do not let a drop of rain or cold weather prevent them from getting out and about in the beautiful Surrey countryside.

“There’ll be a chance to see an exhibition of the most iconic Kids and their Bikes images at the Farnham Maltings from July 6 to August 3 and if you like what you see, please do apply to take part.

“Kids and their Bikes is an ongoing project as it’s my intention to continue to support the charity bike ride and to raise awareness about cycling into 2019 and beyond.”

Receiving the donation, Matt Chisnall, chair of Farnham Round Table said: “The Farnham Charity Bike Ride was set up as a family event to encourage parents and their children to get out into our wonderful local countryside while also enjoying the health benefits of cycling and raising money for local good causes.

“Through her beautiful photography, Sarah Angel’s ‘Kids and their Bikes’ project has captured the spirit of our event perfectly and I can’t wait to see the final results at the exhibition. The fact that the project has so far raised over £500 for local good causes is very much the icing on the cake!”

The Farnham Charity Bike Ride will be held on Sunday, July 8. Cyclists of all ages and abilities can take part in four circular routes which range from 16 to 75 miles. Later in the evening, licensed racing cyclists are invited to compete in the Farnham town centre road races.

The charity bike ride was established by parents of St Andrew’s Infant School in 2009 and has grown each year to become one of the town’s biggest community events, to-date raising more than £130,000 for local good causes in partnership with the Farnham Round Table.

The ride attracts cyclists from far and wide and in 2017 there were 1,475 registered riders of all ages and abilities making it the biggest ride yet.

This year, 50 per cent of money raised will go to St Andrew’s School and 50 per cent to local charities and good causes.

To find out how to register, visit www.farnhambikeride.org.uk. To be part of the Kids and their Bikes project see www.sarahangelphotography.co.uk.