A dad of two who cycles to work just once a week is gearing up to cycle a gruelling 50 miles around Nottinghamshire next month to raise money for charity in memory of his grandad.

Dean Grimshaw, a school business manager from Woodthorpe, is currently training for the Cycle Live bike ride on June 24, when he hopes to raise £500 in aid of Nottinghamshire Hospice.

Staff from the hospice cared for Dean’s grandad, Frank Carroll, when he was dying from cancer five years ago.

Dean says not only did they give vital support to his grandma and his family, they also provided much-needed respite by looking after 90-year-old Frank in his final days and enabling him to die at home.

The Cycle Live event offers riders the choice of five different routes of varying lengths and although Dean originally chose the Robin Hood route, which takes riders 25 miles through villages such as Ruddington, Keyworth and Radcliffe-on-Trent, he has since upgraded his challenge to the 50-mile Friar Tuck route, which extends the journey to include Long Clawson, Redmile and Granby.

Dean, who is currently building up the mileage, said:  “Most people who know me know that I’m not exactly Mr Exercise, but every two years I look to do something that stretches me and raises money for a fantastic local charity.

“Nottinghamshire Hospice is close to my heart because they supported my grandma through the hard times of watching someone she loved pass away in front of her, whilst ensuring dignity for my grandad and allowing him to stay at home throughout.

“It will be a real challenge for me. I cycle to and from work once a week and when I get there I’m exhausted, so completing 50 miles is going to be a huge achievement.”

Nottinghamshire Hospice is hoping that more people follow in Dean’s tyre tracks and take part in Cycle Live to help raise the £2.7m it needs every year to keep operating. Funded purely by donations, the hospice is looking to raise £50,000 by hosting a series of charity challenges this year, including running events, skydives and treks up Kilimanjaro and along the Great Wall of China.

Elaine Hopkins, community fundraiser at Nottinghamshire Hospice, said: “We’re so grateful to Dean for taking on what promises to be a gruelling challenge next month to raise money for us. We wish him all the very best with his training and his bike ride. Without the generosity of people like Dean we could not carry out our work, so we hope his gesture will inspire more people to take part in the event on our behalf .”

To find out more about how you can help the hospice through its charity challengers events visit https://www.nottshospice.org/get-involved/charity-challenges/ or contact the fundraising team on 0115 910 1008 or email fundraising@nottshospice.org