A Richmond council officer will set out on a 100 mile journey from the streets of London to the Surrey countryside to raise money for Refuge.

Joseph Fisher, Corporate Performance and Programmes Officer at Richmond Council, will join around 20,000 cyclists at RideLondon on Sunday, July 29.

The route starts in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London, and continues past Canary Wharf through the City of London, before crossing the River Thames through Richmond Park and Kingston-upon-Thames towards the Surrey Hills.

The route then takes riders back into London over Putney Bridge along the Embankment across Parliament Square and Whitehall before a finish on The Mall.

Mr Fisher will be raising money for Refuge, who are the nominated charity for the Mayor of Richmond upon Thames Cllr Ben Khosa.

Refuge Richmond offer emergency housing, and community based support for people in the borough who are experiencing or have experienced domestic violence or domestic abuse.

Mr Fisher, says: “I have completed RideLondon 4 times previously and always for personal reasons within the 4hrs15min mark.

“This time I am working a lot harder than I've done before, not just to make sure I finish the 100 mile route – but also to raise money for Refuge.

“They support many people in Richmond upon Thames and I hope that everyone can dig deep and donate, so they can help even more.”

Mayor of Richmond upon Thames, Cllr Ben Khosa, said: “I would like to thank Joseph for taking on such a big challenge. I am a keen cyclist myself – but 100 miles, particularly around Box Hill, is not an easy ride.

“We can all help him by donating as much money as possible for a local charity that does so much good work to help so many people.”

Help Joseph Fisher raise money for Refuge by donating on https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Joe-Fisher7