Countess drops in on bike marathon

The Countess of Wessex calls at Wiitering during her marathon charity ride from Edinburgh to London

Schoolchildren were able to give the royal wave of support to the Countess of Wessex as she took part in a marathon cycle challenge.

Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex and an accompanying team of cyclists rode past RAF Wittering on Saturday as part of a charity ride from Edinburgh to London in aid of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

The cycle ride was the Countess’s DofE Diamond Challenge, and she cycled 445 miles from Holyrood House in Edinburgh to Buckingham Palace in London.

At Wittering to ‘wave’ her through were students from the city’s Voyager Academy and also representatives from the Peterborough Open Awards Centre (POAC).

Heidi Latronico, DofE Manager at Voyager said the DofE award had been a great help to a number of pupils at the school. She said: “Year by year we have seen the DofE progra- mme at Voyager grow, the staff involved are continuing to add new programmes and ideas to ensure that it continues to be relevant and rewarding to the students. Without their commitment it would not be possible and it would be sad to think of our school without such an enriching programme for future students to enjoy.”

Peter Westgarth, CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award said: “At 60 years young The DofE has never been more relevant for young people in the UK. Over the years we’ve helped millions of young people to transform their lives through their DofE experience, gaining self-belief and essential skills. Being able to push yourself past boundaries and overcome challenges is an essential part of personal development – inspiring confidence, skills and knowledge. That’s what The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is all about and that’s what The DofE Diamond Challenge is about too.”

To sponsor The Countess and help the DofE reach more young people, please visit The Countess’s Just Giving page - https://www.justgiving.com/ Countess-of-Wessex.