Coast to coast cycle ride to benefit Air Ambulance

People across Dorset and Somerset are being asked to get on their bike to help support their local Air Ambulance.

The Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance (DSAA) is staging a mass cycle ride from the Somerset coast to the Dorset coast.

The Coast 2 Coast (C2C) ride will take place on Sunday, June 19, as part of National Bike Week.

C2C will start in the Somerset port of Watchet, famous for inspiring the 18th century poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge to write The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

The fund-raising event will finish in West Bay, near Bridport, the golden gateway to Dorset's Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.

Hundreds of riders of all ages and ability are expected to take part in C2C, with some finishing after 13 miles in Bishops Lydeard, near Taunton, and others completing the full 54-mile route.

DSAA Chief Executive Officer Bill Sivewright said: "We wanted to create an event that would complement our annual running and walking event at Trickey Warren in the Blackdown Hills each autumn, and this seemed like a natural choice given that we have a coastline in both counties.

"We also thought it would be nice to also offer something for cyclists to be able to support us as well.

"C2C is both a test of stamina and an opportunity to enjoy a beautiful day out cycling through some beautiful villages and countryside.

"At the end of it, people will have had a great day out and hopefully they will be a little bit fitter and will have helped to raise vital funds for our life-saving Charity all at the same time."

Coast 2 Coast entry forms cost £10, or £5 for riders under 16, and can be downloaded from the DSAA website at www.dsairambulance.org.uk or are available by emailing c2c@dsairambulance.org.uk or calling 01823 669604. Riders are being asked to try to raise £50 in sponsorship from family and friends.

Prizes are being given for the most sponsorship raised in three categories, which are up to 11-years-old, 11 to 15 years, adult, and teams of four.

Cycling shirts are being provided for the first 200 riders by solicitors Porter Dodson, and building firm Pollard will return any bicycles from West Bay to Watchet. Transport for all cyclists from West Bay to Watchet is also available.

Coast 2 Coast is also being supported by The Bicycle Chain and The George Hotel, West Bay, where a post-ride barbecue and buffet reception will be held.

More information about the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance can be found by visiting www.dsairambulance.org.uk or by emailing info@dsairambulance.org.uk or calling 01823 669604.