Stamford Bridge man will cycle 1,500km from London to Edinburgh and back to raise funds for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance

Stuart Norris works for the York-based company Portakabin which has been a long-term supporter of the air ambulance charity and has an enthusiastic cycle-to-work culture with more than 50 members participating in its weekly cycling club.

He is cycling the Audax London to Edinburgh cycle route which is an organised 1,500km route from London to Edinburgh and back again.

He has been training over the past six months and will ride on his trusted bike that has clocked over 60,000 miles over the years.

Mr Norris is looking to raise £12,000 for the YAA through a JustGiving page. He has raised £4,736 so far thanks to the backing of 119 supporters.

The journey, which starts on Sunday, August 7, will take place over five days and riders have 125 hours to complete the journey to make the list of riders who completed the challenge, which will feature on the Audax website. The ride is held once every four years and is one of Britain’s toughest challenges.

Mr Norris is no stranger to long-distance cycle rides. He previously cycled Lands’ End to John O’ Groats, the Coast to Coast challenge, and the Way of the Roses which was 171 miles in a single day.

Over the years, he has raised nearly £10,000 for YAA and his aim this time is to raise an additional £12,000, the equivalent of a day’s running costs for the charity by completing this journey.

He said: “Cycling isn’t the hard part as it’s what I enjoy doing. It will be the mental aspect that is challenging. This ride isn’t about speed, it’s all about endurance.”

Rob Scott, East Yorkshire regional fundraiser for Yorkshire Air Ambulance, said: “We cannot thank Stuart enough for his support and generosity over the years and would like to wish him the best of luck completing the Audax 1,500km cycle.

“As an independent charity, it costs us £12,000 a day to keep both helicopters maintained and in the air and fundraisers like Stuart’s cycle ride are the life-blood of our service, not only raising vital funds but spreading awareness of the service we provide across Yorkshire and beyond.”

Go to tinyurl.com/4uypaxzk to support Mr Norris’ fundraising campaign.