A PENRHYNCOCH father and daughter have raised over £6,000 after cycling around 300 miles to raise money for the Help for Heroes.

Jessica Davies, a model and TV star, and her father Nigel, took on the Big Battlefield Bike Ride through France and into Belgium visiting several locations to pay tribute to those who died during war.

The ride, which started from the Glade of Armistice in France and went through the Somme battlefields and finished at the Symphorien Military Cemetery, was the first time Jessica had taken part in a cycling event and she said she had enjoyed it so much, the fund-raising duo were already considering joining next year’s ride.

Jessica said: “It was an amazing experience and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.

“So much so, in fact, that my dad and I have already registered our interest for next year’s ride.

“Having never ridden 70 miles before, and having to do so five days in a row, it was a pretty huge challenge for me.

“Each day tackled was another personal best for me, which certainly added to the adrenaline.

“We faced a couple of heavy rain days - those were the longest - some high climbs up to Vimy Ridge and Notre Dame war memorials and ceremonies, some dodgy cycling tan lines from that one sunny day we had, and the cobbled streets of Belgium, which certainly weren’t what was needed on the old behind after four days in the saddle!

“But what an incredibly moving, humbling and rewarding experience it was.

“We actually found my great-great-grandfather’s name, who died on the Somme, on the Thiepval Memorial which was amazing.”

Jessica and Nigel had set themselves a fundraising target of a huge £6,000 and exceeded that amount.

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