AN ILKLEY woman is getting on her bike to continue her fundraising for Sue Ryder Manorlands.

Victoria Spratt, who works full time as a swimming teacher and coach at Ilkely Pool and Lido, is preparing to take on the London Prudential 100 bike ride on July 29 to raise much needed funds for the Oxenhope hospice.

Last year, while employed by Booths in Ilkley, Victoria successfully raised more than £2,000 for Sue Ryder by taking part in the London Marathon. The Ilkley supermarket also spent a year supporting the hospice over the past year. They hosted a Gin & Casino night in their cafe and donated the profits from the sale of their plastic carrier bags.

Blake Hemingway from the Girder Forks Classic motorcycle club based in Steeton, made a big contribution to Victoria's fundraising at that time and has again stepped in to offer her sponsorship of £300 for the London bike ride.

Victoria is also going to compete in a two mile Serpentine swim in London in September. She said: "Upon completion of that swim I will secure a prestigious medal engraved in Latin 'I came, I saw, I conquered London' and entered into the hall of fame.

"I intend to dedicate that medal to anyone who has ever lost a loved one (for me it was my beautiful sister), a symbol that the utter despair of losing someone close can eventually be conquered and that the circle of life has to continue. An ethos that Sue Ryder stands by.

"My personal reasons for entering these iconic London events is to fundraise for a local hospice which has many diverse needs, it's not just a centre for palliative care. I'm just a local girl fundraising for a local hospice and love a good challenge.

"My sister Clare-Elise did not die of cancer nor had any connection with Sue Ryder but the loss of her is a big part of my driving force. She was a senior nurse and she cared very deeply for others, she believed in making a difference and always conducted herself as in the words of the " nurses prayer" which talks of compassion, empathy, care and consideration of others. All the attributes that Sue Ryder stand by too."

Blake Hemingway said: "Every year our club holds a classic motorcycle show to raise funds for three local charities. Sue Ryder is again one of our nominated charities. Last year we managed to raise a total of £3,500. We are able to divert some of this money in advance of the show to Victoria's worthwhile cause."

Ilkley Pool is also actively supporting Sue Ryder and Victoria's fundraising efforts and there is a collection box there is anyone would like to make a donation.

Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice in Oxenhope provides specialist palliative and end of life care every year to hundreds of people. It is there for people aged 18 and over who have been diagnosed with a life-limiting condition be it cancer or a non-cancer.

All care services at Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice are completely free of charge to patients and their loved ones. However, it costs £3.4m to run the hospice and only part of these costs are covered by statutory funds.

Every year the hospice needs to raise over £2.3m in donations to continue to provide its specialist care services. For more information visit www.sueryder.org/manorlands

*Girder Fork's classic bike show this year will be held at Skipton Auction Mart on Sunday, June 24 from 11am. Entry is £3.