ORGANISERS of George’s Marvellous Bike Ride have presented a £1,700 cheque to the Stepping Stones charity.

The annual ride starts and finishes in Bradford on Avon and raised more than £3,500 this year.

The proceeds were split between Stepping Stones, an opportunity group for children with special needs in the west Wiltshire area, and national charity Scope.

In September, more than 100 cyclists cycled distances between 11 and 80 miles to raise much-needed funds for the two causes.

GMBR was set up in memory of nine-year-old George Hutchings, who died from quadriplegic cerebral palsy. Each year GMBR aims to raise money to support families in similar circumstances.

George’s mum, Anna Hutchings, said: “Year on year we are overwhelmed by the support we have for GMBR. We started in 2011 and since then the number of people getting involved has continued to grow.

“It’s a really fun event, and we have families from across the country taking part. We have a lot of support from people in the West Wiltshire area, and from the community in Bradford on Avon who have really taken the cause to their hearts.“Presenting the cheques to Stepping Stones and Scope is fantastic. We know that the cash raised by everyone who took part will go towards improving facilities for children with life-limiting illnesses and help to make a difference.”

“GMBR will be back next year and we’d love to hear from anyone – individuals, companies and organisations – who would like to be part of it.”

GMBR will return on Sunday, November 1 next year.

To find out more visit www.georgesmarvellousbikeride.org.uk