By Rosa Smith

A BUILDING society worker with a passion for horses will be saddling up on a bike for a 100-mile cycle ride to raise money for a hospice.

Saffron Ward, 20, has already surpassed her target of raising £1,000 for Longfield ahead of her ride through London and Surrey this Sunday, July 31, but she’s still keen to drum up even more money for the hospice which provides care for people across Gloucestershire.

The former Rednock School student started working at the Dursley branch of Coventry building society when she was 16, and moved to the Stroud branch in April this year.

Longfield is the community partner for three local branches of Coventry ¬– Dursley, Nailsworth and Stonehouse – and Saffron explained that stories of the hospice’s work had inspired her.

‘It’s not about the time I do it in, it’s raising the money for a service which provides support for people with life limiting or terminal illnesses,” she said.

“We know of members who have used the hospice, and I want to help them give back to such a worthwhile cause.’ The event she is taking part in, Prudential RideLondon, is organised by the Mayor of London in partnership with Surrey County Council, and sees over 20,000 cyclists ride from the Olympic park in Stratford, through London, out to Surrey, and eventually cross the finishing line at the end of The Mall.

Saffron hopes to complete her route in roughly six to seven hours, and has been training three to five times a week since she decided to take part during the Christmas period.

“I’m a horse rider not a cyclist,’ she said, “and it’s a very different saddle!”

Both Stroud and Dursley branches have helped raised money for Longfield through raffles, cake sales, in branch ‘bikeathons’, and sponsorship.

‘I’m ridiculously grateful to everyone who has donated. I’m nervous but my enthusiasm comes from being able to hand that check of over £1,000 to Longfield. That will be the highlight for me.” You can donate at https://www.longfield.org.uk/Fundraisers/saffrons-surrey-london-100-mile-bike-ride