VIDEO A team of volunteers helped to raised more than £2,000 for charities after riding a sixteen-seater cycle from Ipswich Hospital to Shotley.Supporters along the 14-mile route came out to cheer on the cyclists taking part in The Big Bike Ride, which was organised by the 24th Ipswich Scout Group to raise money for their own club, the East Anglian Air Ambulance and the Special Care Baby Unit at Ipswich Hospital.

A TEAM of volunteers helped to raised more than £2,000 for charities after riding a sixteen-seater cycle from Ipswich Hospital to Shotley.

Supporters along the 14-mile route came out to cheer on the cyclists taking part in The Big Bike Ride, which was organised by the 24th Ipswich Scout Group to raise money for their own club, the East Anglian Air Ambulance and the Special Care Baby Unit at Ipswich Hospital.

Stewart Bethell, group leader of the 24th Ipswich Scout Group, who was one of the individual cyclists taking part, said: “We were well supported throughout the town and especially when we got down to Shotley because they knew we were coming.

“There are already rumours this will become an annual event. Everyone enjoyed it and it is certainly something different.

“The police community support officers were fantastic. They stopped the traffic for us so we didn't have to wait at any traffic lights.”

The ride on Saturday took the cyclists through Woodbridge Road East and Spring Road, and onto Freston Hill, Chelmondiston, before ending up in Shotley at about 3.30pm.

They had a number of rest stops throughout the day, including Tower Ramparts, The Oyster Reach pub, and The Boot at Freston, where they collected donations.

Following the ride, The Bristol Arms pub in Shotley hosted a barbecue and held a karaoke evening, which included a prize draw.

Mr Bethell added: “I was very happy with how things went and I want to say a big thank you to everyone involved. The Bristol Arms laid on a great barbeque and we had 32 prizes for the draw in total, including football tickets from Ipswich Town Football Club and mountain bikes from JJB.

“Part of our aim was to recruit more adults into supporting young people in the Ipswich area, either directly with scouting or along with other agencies.”

If you are interested in joining the group, visit www.the24thipswichscouts.org.uk or call Stewart on 07887 534541.

Are you holding an event you want to tell us about? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk