Nicola Jayne Phelps

Devoted husband Tim Phelps pledged to raised money for the hospice, where his wife Nicola Jayne was cared for in her final months.

Tim, 56, initially set a target of £10,000 to cycle 53 miles – the equivalent of Jayne’s age when she passed away last September.

Tim, from Wilpshire, said the bike ride as a fitting tribute to his ‘soul mate’ who spent the last three month of her life at the hospice before she passed away last September.

Jayne, a mum-of-two, was diagnosed with metastatic cancer in May 2016.

As news of the fundraising event spread, so did the number of people taking part - and the target doubled.

On the day, Tim was joined by 135 cyclists aged 17 to 83 as he set off from Salesbury Memorial Hall in the Ribble Valley. One of them, Cheryl Mason, was celebrating her 50th birthday and the epic ride was only her third ever bike ride.

So far, the total raised from the event stands at £38,240 – with some donations still outstanding.

Tim and Jayne have two boys – Josh, 24, and Joel, 21 – who also took part in the bike ride.

Tim, a keen cyclist, said: “Jayne was a special person. She was my soul mate and best friend. My sons and I wanted to raise some money to help and cycling seemed the obvious thing to do.

“The hospice means so much to me. What they provided for my wife was exceptional. Word spread amongst friends, family and wider and the numbers just grew.  It has surpassed our wildest expectations. Jayne would have been very proud.

“East Lancashire Hospice looked after her and nothing was too much trouble. Everything the staff did they did with real care, skill and true empathy. They couldn’t have treated my family any better. So many lives are touched by the special care provided by the hospice.”

Tim has been supported by Fox's Biscuits where Jayne worked, who sponsored the cycling jerseys, Blackburn Chemicals who made a very generous donation and had many employees taking part in the ride, Lloyds where Tim works have also donated and there has been further support from Taylors and Iceland.

If you would like to donate, visit www.­justgiving.­com/­fundraising/­Nicola­Ja­yneP­helps

Tim’s son Joel also hosted a golf event at Wilpshire Golf Club in aid of the Hospice, aiming to raise a further 3,000.