A Samaritans volunteer is planning an epic 500 mile bike ride later this year to mark the 50th anniversary of the organisation.

Alistair Thompson, who is a volunteer at the Aberystwyth branch of the Samaritans is to cycle 500 miles, with the aim of raising £5000 for the branch, on a route that is fifty per cent off road.

The route, known as the Pictish Trail, runs from Edinburgh to John O’Groats, and across to the Orkney Islands, traversing Scotland’s ancient Pictish kingdoms. It’s a challenging ride across mixed terrain, and Alistair, who set off from Edinburgh on 1 May, is climbing the same height as Everest.

Alistair enjoys getting to wild places that are hard to access in other ways, and has adapted to wild camping.

Although he’s been mountain biking for over 25 years he only started long distance bike-packing two years ago, initially inspired by the Traws Eryri route.

Last year he rode from Glasgow to Cape Wrath, again raising money for Samaritans, but this year’s ride is considerably more ambitious. He will be greeted by members of some of the Scottish Samaritans branches at some of the points on his ride.

The Aberystwyth and Mid Wales branch of the Samaritans is run from an office in the harbour. After training, volunteers operate the national English language telephone helpline (116 123) for nine shifts each week, and the Welsh language helpline (0808 164 0123) on Thursday evenings.

Not all callers are suicidal, although many are in severe distress. The focus is on empathetic listening without judgement, without giving advice. They are always looking for more listening volunteers, particularly those who are willing to work in the late evening and overnight. You can find out more on the Branch website samaritans.org/aberystwyth

You can sponsor Alistair’s bike ride via his Enthuse page samaritanscommunity.enthuse.com/pf/alistair-thompson-e2o