Yorkshire Building Society’s Ilkley branch helped raise more than £18,000 last year for their Charity of the Year – the RNLI – and this year they are going all out to smash that target starting with a 70-mile sponsored bike ride.

The challenge is being taken up by 22 members of staff who all work across the area.

The ride should take approximately ten hours and see the fundraising cyclists visit every one of the 12 branches the Society has across Bradford.

Each of the 12 branches has committed to trying to raise £300 in the run up to the event on Friday, May 17, and each individual cyclist is hoping to raise a further £50, meaning the challenge could bring in £4,000 in donations for the RNLI.

Lewis Wilkinson, manager of Yorkshire Building Society’s Ilkley branch said: “Last year we raised a fantastic amount, but we are hoping to top it – starting with this big cycle challenge.

“All the branches in this area and all the cyclists are doing everything they can to raise support and the riders are putting in huge amounts of effort outside of work hours to train for the challenge.

“I hope we can get as much support as possible throughout Ilkley from our customers and members of the public and really make a great donation to an amazing charity – the RNLI. Despite not being based by the sea we want to support a charity that also does a lot of inland rescue and will be on call in all weathers.”