A dozen cyclists from Oxfordshire will pedal half-way across the country later this week in aid of a dementia charity.

The friends, who call themselves Kelly’s Heroes in memory of Southmoor woman Kelly Pope, who lost her cancer fight in 2015, plan to cycle from Broughton Castle, near Banbury, to Cornwall’s Lands End.

The 330 mile marathon is expected to take the men three days, with the group arriving at the mainland’s most westerly point on Saturday afternoon.

They hope to raise as much money as possible for Oxfordshire charity Dementia Active, which runs sessions in Banbury for people suffering from the condition.

The cyclists have already beaten their £2,500 target, raising £4,000 through an online donations page.

Organiser Darren Kinch, from Stadhampton, said: “This year it was someone’s daft idea to cycle from here to Lands End in three days. It’s 330 miles in total. We’ve put in a silly amount of hours in training.

“We chose dementia because one of our riders’ mum passed away last year, my nan passed away three years ago from it. Dementia Active is a new charity so we thought why not help them out.”

Andy Gill of Dementia Active (centre) with the Kellys Heroes cyclists at Broughton Castle, near Banbury

Andy Gill of Dementia Active (centre) with the Kelly's Heroes cyclists at Broughton Castle, near Banbury

Rider Michael Randall, 43, lost mum Carol to the disease. “It’s very hard to watch someone go through dementia. Anything we can do to help with this ride will be amazing.”

The money raised by the riders will help new charity Dementia Active ensure that more people can attend the therapy sessions it runs in and around Banbury.

Andy Gill, who set up the organisation after his wife Rachael was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2018, said the sessions involve everything from music to card games. “It’s all about getting things out that are in there. You just wake up bits of the brain.”

They also give carers some respite for a few hours. “It keeps people with dementia in their homes with husbands or their wives for longer. You’re giving them that break.”

The project currently supports 30 people with dementia – with hopes of helping more in the future.

Andy said of the Kelly’s Heroes fundraising ride: “Things like this will enable us to at some point lease a building in Banbury, which will enable us to double what we do.”

To donate, visit: uk.gofundme.com/f/kellys-heroes.

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

For news updates straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on news@nqo.com or 01865 425 445.