A MONMOUTH soldier is limbering up to cycle 500 miles in aid of a forces charity.

Royal Welsh Captain Mark Adams has signed up to the Ride of Britain challenge to raise funds for Lifelong Support for our Forces and their Families (SSAFA)

Captain Adams will join 40 other intrepid cyclists as they cycle from Edinburgh to London in five days in a bid to raise more than £1,300 each for the charity. The route will take them through Carlisle, Harrogate, Derby and Cambridge

Captain Adams, who serves with the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Welsh, has completed tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and has witnessed first hand the work that SSAFA does within the service community.

The charity supports more than 50,000 people, ranging from D-Day veterans to the families of young soldiers wounded in Afghanistan.

He said: “My regiment often got involved in fundraising events in aid of SSAFA.

“SSAFA is firmly focussed at the individual level and can have a real impact on those it works with.

“This is the main motivation behind me taking up this challenge. I want to ensure that SSAFA can continue its good work through the money I raise.”

The challenge starts on September 25.

Stephen King, SSAFA regional fundraising manager said: “The Ride of Britain is one of our main fundraising events and we simply couldn’t carry on our life-changing work without the huge support of our fundraisers who have committed to the challenge.”

“The Ride of Britain is by no means a simple undertaking.

“Every penny raised in support of those taking part will be used to help our trained volunteers and professional staff to continue to help ten of thousands of people, young and old alike.”

For more information visit www.ssafa .org.uk