CYCLISTS from across the UK will gather at York Minster on Friday before setting off on a 185-mile charity bike ride to Warwick in memory of a little girl who died of a rare kidney cancer more than 10 years ago.

Warwick-based charity Molly Olly’s Wishes was set up in 2011 following the death of Rachel and Tim Ollerenshaw’s eight-year-old daughter Molly.

Tim and Rachel chose York as the starting point of the charity's 10th anniversary charity cycle ride as it was one of the last holidays they all spent together as a family with Molly.

Rachel said: “We decided to do this cycle event in 2022 to celebrate 10 years of Molly’s legacy. It is a special route for us as York is one of the last places we – as a family – visited before Molly died so it holds poignant memories."

Mollys Ollys Wishes works to support children with terminal or life-threatening illnesses and their families and help with their emotional wellbeing. It also grants wishes and donates therapeutic toys and books to both children directly and to hospitals throughout the UK.

More than 50 cyclists are expected to set off from York Minster at 9.30am on Friday by the city’s Sheriff Suzie Mercer. They will follow a route through The Pennines and Derbyshire before arriving in Warwick three days later.

Suzie said: “I am delighted to attend the launch of the Molly Ollys 10th anniversary charity cycle ride. Whilst I never had the pleasure of meeting Molly whilst she was alive, I know what a strong and determined young lady she was and so much good has been done in her name over the 10 years that the charity has been going.”

The charity ride has the backing of former Manchester United and England goalkeeper Ben Foster.

Ben said: “I have been to one of the Molly Ollys Annual Balls in the past which was a great evening and I am aware of the wonderful work that the charity does to emotionally support children across the UK with life-threatening illnesses.

“Having two children myself, I cannot begin to imagine to horror of being told your little one is seriously ill and not knowing if they will regain their health. I wish all of the cyclists taking part the very best of luck.”

The mascot of the Mollys Ollys charity is a therapeutic toy lion called Olly The Brave who has his own Hickman line and a detachable mane which helps to explain and normalise the effects of chemotherapy.

These form part of an Olly The Brave pack that has now been handed out to more than 40 hospitals, along with a book from the charity’s exclusive Olly The Brave series.

Part of the more than £3m raised to date by the charity has also been used to fund the first Molly Olly consultant in paediatric medicine at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

For more information or to make a donation, visit www.mollyolly.co.uk