A GROUP of competitive young farmers will be putting any ‘arch’-rivalry to one side when they tackle a mammoth cycling challenge for charity.
The seven-strong team, which consists of Chris Acock and Tom Worthington from Kempsey, set off from the London Arch in Croome on Monday (March 30) before cycling 267 miles to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Phil Maiden, Chris Perkins, Matt Cobain, Will Parry and Michael Jordan will also be taking on the four-day challenge as they look to raise £3,500 for the Stroke Association.
Mr Maiden from Elmley Lovett said they decided to use the Arch to Arc event to raise money for the charity after his dad had a stroke 18 months ago.
“The Stroke Association were extremely helpful when my dad had a stroke, and I that’s why I want to raise money to help them be there for lots more family like mine,” he said. “Stroke can have a huge impact on someone’s life, and can be completely devastating.
“I’m so thankful to my pals for coming together to support such a fantastic cause, and I hope that we can do our bit to help conquer this awful condition.”
Claire Benfield, regional fundraiser from the Stroke Association in the West Midlands, added: “There are around 152,000 strokes a year in the UK – that’s one every three and a half minutes.
“We’re a charity that relies on people like Phil and his team to raise funds so we can be there for families affected by stroke.
“We wish the team all the luck in their training and we’ll be cheering the team on as they leave for their journey.”
To donate visit www.justgiving.com/archtoarc2015
