A FLYPAST by a Spitfire will mark the completion of a mammoth bike ride from the Houses of Parliament to Uttoxeter to raise valuable funds for a town youth group.
The Spitfire of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will visit Uttoxeter on Sunday to mark the successful completion of the London to Uttoxeter 200, which will see 12 riders cycle 200 miles from London to the town in aid of children’s charity Inside Outers.
The cyclists (pictured), led by town and borough councillor Andrew Riley and Darren Staniforth, aim to complete the ride over four days with the arrival back being marked by a heroes welcome.
Residents and children from Inside Outers, as well as the RAF and Uttoxeter Town Band, will be waiting for their arrival as they plan to cross the finish line in the Market Place at 2.45pm. The flypast will take place five minutes later at 2.50pm.
The organisers however, have said the participation of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is subject to aircraft serviceability and the weather.
The London to Uttoxeter 200 will start from inside the grounds of the Houses of Parliament tomorrow and the riders hope to meet many of the MPs on the day. The start itself will be signalled by Uttoxeter MP Andrew Griffiths.
All the money raised will be donated to The Inside Outers, which helps vulnerable children from the Uttoxeter area who are excluded socially from their peers either because they are bullied or they have physical or emotional disabilities.
Inside Outers was set up by Tina Hughes and Sharon Lacey, two teaching assistants at Uttoxeter’s Thomas Alleynes High School.
Ms Hughes said: “We are all overwhelmed that the cyclists have chosen to support our group and I want to thank each of them for their support.
“The effort they are putting into the whole event is incredible, our volunteers and our children cannot thank them enough.” The Inside Outers meets once a month, is free of charge and aims to give children the opportunity to get out and mix in a socially safe environment.
All the work done is voluntary, with funds raised going directly towards activities for the 13 children who currently use the group.
The organisers of London to Uttoxeter 200 would like to acknowledge the support and their grateful appreciation to the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and all sponsors, big and small from across the community.
They also ask all supporters to note the revised finish time of the event which has been rescheduled to assist the RAF.
Those wanting to donate are asked to text LOUT20 followed by how much they want to donate to 70070.
