A GROUP of riders from across the country came together last weekend to celebrate the life of Will Anderson who tragically died last year.

Will had lived in Burley-in-Wharfedale for ten years and had been a much-loved teacher at Ashlands Primary School in Ilkley, before moving back to be closer to family in Cambridge.

The group of 11 cyclists (and three very important support crew) made up of family and friends, cycled 175 miles from Burley to Cambridge over the two days of September 17-18th. For the last few miles, the group were joined by more family and friends and Will’s young nephews and nieces.

They have raised around £20,000 so far for three very worthwhile causes: the suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM); Winston’s Wish, a charity that works with bereaved children and St Andrews Primary School in Soham, where Will had been teaching when he died.

A spokesperson said: “We thoroughly enjoyed the challenge with most of the group having never attempted anything like this distance before. We enjoyed spending time together sharing stories of our time and adventures with Will and we all felt that he must have been smiling down on us as we were blessed by sunshine, and more importantly, a tailwind.

"We all felt great despite the sore legs, and seeing how much money we have raised for our three wonderful causes is fantastic.

“We were very thankful too for wonderful support from family and friends and also the outgoing vicar of Burley, Alastair Kirk who saw us off on Saturday morning. Will would also have loved the pork pies on the ride - starting with pies from Mark Spauls of Burley, followed by Dickinson and Morris of Melton Mowbray.

“As well as the money raised, it is also very important to us to raise awareness of how mental health problems affect so many people, even someone like Will whose defining feature was his broad smile who he shared with everyone. We hope others who may be struggling will find a way to talk to friends and family if they find themselves in a dark place.”

The JustGiving page is still running. To donate visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ride-for-will?utm_term=yn5rQwpWB.

* When life is difficult, Samaritans can be contacted day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit www.samaritans.org