A MEMBER of the Quaker Meeting House in Bradford on Avon is celebrating after raising more than £1,895 from a sponsored 360-mile bike ride to London.

Judith Hammond got on her bike to join a group cycling from Swarthmoor Hall near Ulverston in Cumbria to Westminster.

The 75-year-old from Middle Rank, Bradford on Avon, was among a group of Quakers who rode to 10 Downing Street to ‘speak truth to power’.

They completed the ride in 12 days to help draw attention to the current state of the welfare state. Along the way, the group travelled through villages, towns and cities, where they were welcomed and hosted by fellow Quakers.

Judith, from Middle Rank, Bradford on Avon, said: “The amount I have raised is absolutely amazing and I’d like to pay a huge thanks to all those who have donated.

“We had marvellous hospitality at the Quaker Meeting Houses en route.

“The core group comprised ten adults and five teenagers and we were joined by riders each day from local areas.

“We gave talks to people en route and handed out postcards on which we asked people to write their challenges with the welfare cuts, some of which are heart-rending.

“These will be sent to their MPs to help effect change that we can afford to care.”

Judith added: “We wanted to give witness to our concerns about the dismantling of the welfare state including our NHS and Social Care Systems.

“Our aim was to draw attention to the suffering and distress resulting from recent welfare changes and rising inequality in society and to challenge the promoted narrative that we cannot afford to care.”

The group followed in the footsteps of an early founding member of Quakers, Margaret Fell, in the year that the NHS celebrates its 70th anniversary.

In the spring of 1660, in a spirit of non-violence, Margaret Fell rode on horseback from her home at Swarthmoor Hall near Ulverston to London with a declaration to appeal to King Charles II to end the persecution and suffering of Quakers.

At that time Quakers stood ‘outside the protection’ of the State which, the group says, echoes the plight of many people today.

In London, the group present a Declaration to Downing Street written in the style of Margaret Fell’s, along with compelling evidence supporting and validating their concern.

They appealed to the government to end the dismantling of the welfare state and the suffering of those who are victims of the changes.

They also want the Government to renew the welfare state ensuring a safety net for us all and to commit themselves to act for equality and the common good.

Information about Quakers’ postcard campaign can be found on http://www.kendal-and-sedbergh-quakers.org.uk and on the Facebook page on https://www.facebook.com/rideforequality.