County wide bike ride for Shrewsbury centre competed
A cyclist has completed a "tour de Shropshire" to raise money for a wheelchair tandem for a day centre.
Ray Hughes, from Easthope, near Much Wenlock, cycled 168 miles around the county and says he is confident he will now collect enough in sponsorship help buy a special "loader" bike for wheelchair users at Shrewsbury's Abbots Wood Day Centre.
Ray, 57, got a hero's welcome at the centre on Saturday when he stopped off half way through his challenge, which took in Cleobury Mortimer, Ludlow, Shrewsbury, Oswestry, Ellesmere, Whitchurch, Market Drayton and Telford, finishing in Bridgnorth.
Ray set out with a target of £500, and while not all of the money has been collected yet, he said he should meet that, with £330 already raised on line and £100 also pledged by colleagues at work.
The road safety officer with Shropshire Council contractors Mouchel, is also a member of Cycling4All, a community group looking to improve inclusive cycling opportunities across the county, through which he met people at Shrewsbury's Abbots Wood Day Centre.
He said: "The sun was rising over Bridgnorth at just after 4am when I left home.
"The first cafe stop was at Kirsty's Place in Bishop's Castle and they donated £20, an amazing start to the day."
He said a friend drove on ahead of him taking collections outside shops in the various town he went through raising about £90.
He arrived at the finish line at 9.30pm to a welcome party of family and friends.
The Abbots Wood centre wants to improve access to cycling for their service users and aims to buy their loader bike by Christmas, he said.
"This will enable wheelchair bound users to enjoy a fun ride around their site and join in with their more able bodied service users in the indoor and outdoor cycling activities.
"No one attending the centre would ever be excluded from accessing a happy cycling experience," he added.
To donate to Ray's cause visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ray-hughes-loader
