A midwife at the Royal Preston Hospital is gearing up to cycle more than 800 miles to raise cash for charity.

Sharon Clifford, who has worked at the hospital's Sharoe Green Maternity Unit for nearly ten years, will take part in the London to Edinburgh to London 1,400km audax bike ride, starting on July 23.

The mammoth ride will take up to five days to complete and Sharon is hoping to raise pots of cash for local charity, the George Barton Trust, which raises funds for equipment and groundbreaking research into motor neurone disease (MND).

Royal Preston Hospital, part of the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, is home to the Preston MND Care Centre, a leading centre for treatment and research into the disease. I'm riding the event in aid of the George Barton Trust because a close friend has developed MND and I would like to help raise funding for further research into the disease," said Sharon, who lives in Horwich, near Bolton.

"Audax events are challenging bike rides which are not run as races but have a maximum and minimum average speed that riders must adhere to.

"Audax events originate from the continent and were started to enable ordinary riders to ride professional race routes. The most famous event is the 1200km Paris Brest Paris which is held every four years."

Anyone who would like to sponsor Sharon can call the MND Care Centre office on 01772 522545.