FUNDRAISER extraordinaire Michael Bickell will be saddling up for his 12th annual sponsored horse ride in June, raising money for two charities by riding 250 miles from his home to the capital. Michael, who is chairman of the Lamerton Hunt, is welcoming riders to join him along the route from Lifton to London, which is expected to take nine days. All monies raised will be split between SSAFA (Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association) and Help for Heroes, which provides support for wounded servicemen and women. The ride will leave Michael's home at Mount Pleasant, between Lifton and Lewdown, on June 14 at 9am and head to Okehampton and Exeter. It will end in London on June 23, when riders will be escorted by members of the Metropolitan mounted police from Kensington Gardens, through Hyde Park, along Constitution Hill to Buckingham Palace, then down The Mall to Horse Guards Parade. Afterwards they meet up with West Devon MP Geoffrey Cox at the Houses of Parliament. Michael and local hunt supporters Deborah and Harriet Kivell and Amanda Denny will be passing through towns such as Honiton, Shaftesbury, Salisbury, Winchester, Kingston and Richmond and hunts en route will be providing accommodation. Over the last 12 years Michael has raised in the region of £50,000, which has been shared between many well known charities, from the Children's Hospice South West to Cancer Research and the Devon Air Ambulance. Michael said he was very grateful to the many people who were providing accommodation and pitstops and all the people who were sponsoring the riders: 'A lot of work goes into organising something like this but it is all worth it for the money we raise and all the various people we meet throughout the country,' said Michael. For further details or to sponsor Michael contact him on 01566 783305.
