Just four months after jumping back in the saddle for the first time in years, former NFU President, Peter Kendall, is about to attempt his cycling challenge of a lifetime by covering more than 1,000 miles in 12 days – all in the name of charity.

Joined by Oxford Farming Conference chairman Richard Whitlock, the pair will set off on Monday June 16 from Skelmersdale in the North West of England and make their way clockwise around the country.

Stopping off at every NFU regional office, and its NFU Cymru office in Builth Wells, their Farm Cycle Challenge will raise money for three farming charities in the UK; the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution, the Addington Fund, the Farming Community Network, and Farm Africa, the charity working to end food poverty in Eastern Africa.

Peter said: “I have always resisted doing anything like this for charity because the NFU day job over the past few years has kept me busy. Despite that, I had become seriously out of condition in recent times and my kids have been relentless in their condemnation of my decline. So, for me, this is a mad challenge. I know I am certainly keeping those manufactures of Deep Heat in business.

“The thing that will keep me going over those tough Pennine hills however is the fact that this is all for charity. I am really up for this challenge and hope people will give as much as they can to help the four extremely worthwhile causes we are supporting.

“There is some fantastic work being done. The flooding crisis in parts of the country at the start of the year, and the overwhelming response to that, is testament to the importance of rural charities such as RABI, FCN and Addington, working tirelessly to ensure rural communities farmers and growers have a safety net during times of trouble. Our fundraising challenge will help go some way to keeping these issues firmly in the media spotlight.

Richard added: “We both must have hit that mid-life crisis point but what better way to get over that than a cycle challenge of this scale to raise money for such essential charities.

“For me cycling is a great way to see the countryside, get fit and, this year, raise money for four excellent agricultural charities. There are always people worse off than we are and it’s good to have the pain of a 1,000 mile cycle ride to help ease the pain for those who are not so fortunate. These four charities make a real in the field difference to people’s lives in our industry.”