Ribble Valley Ride has raised £70,000 over the last decade for local charities

Almost 300 cyclists from across the North-West took part in the 2025 Ribble Valley Ride, raising more than £7,500 which will be shared between Rosemere Cancer Foundation and Rotary Great Britain and Ireland.

Again sponsored by Ribble Cycles, this year’s ride incorporated an easy family-friendly 25-mile route, a more challenging 50-mile route and a demanding 70-mile route taking in some of the best hill climbs in the Ribble Valley and Forest of Bowland.

Thanks to the generous support of Preston-based Ribble Cycles, this year’s event also included a prize fund of £3,000, with all participants entered into a prize draw to win one of three Ribble Cycles vouchers. This year’s ride also received generous support from Heidelberg Materials (formerly Hanson Cement).

The ride is organised almost entirely by volunteers from the Rotary Clubs of Clitheroe and Hyndburn and has gained a reputation for being a friendly and inclusive event that welcomes families and newcomers as well as more experienced riders. All the food provided to refuel riders at the two feed stations was prepared by a committed team of volunteers.

In recognition of his role in establishing the Ride, which has raised more than £70,000 for local charities over the last decade, Ribble Valley Ride co-founder Bill Honeywell was presented with a prestigious Paul Harris Fellowship with double sapphire at Sunday’s event.

Bill Honeywell said: “Over the last decade, the Ribble valley ride has raised more than £70,000 for local charities and this recognition should really be shared by the small army of people who have made the event happen over the years.

“The dedicated team of volunteers who organise the Ride are working hard to make the event as accessible and inclusive as possible – for instance by allowing people to take part on electric bikes.

“We can only host the event thanks to the generous support of sponsors like Ribble and Heidelberg Materials, some generous donations and the goodwill of our small army of volunteers.

“I’d like to say a huge ‘thankyou’ to everyone who has taken part in the ride over the last decade and to our sponsors, supporters and volunteers who made it all possible.”

Malcolm Baldwin, President of Hyndburn Rotary Club said: “The Ribble Valley Ride is an outstanding example of how Rotarians can work together to amplify the impact of Rotary over a wider area.

“The Ribble Valley Ride attracts cyclists from all over the North-West and it’s wonderful to be able to coordinate the efforts of members from the Clitheroe and Hyndburn clubs to deliver a high-quality event that has raised so much money for local charities.”

All registered entrants who participated in the event on the day were entered into a prize draw to win one of three prizes (one for each distance) provided by Ribble Cycles.

The winners were: 25 Miles Simon Dowson; 50 miles Edward Ireland; 70 miles Peter Shelton.