JUST before May Day bank holiday weekend, Carolyn Burch and Richard Raggett, from North Petherwin, started a 400-mile fundraising cycle challenge across Cornwall and Devon, in aid of the charity, Freedom from Torture.

Carolyn, a former publisher, and accountant, Richard, stopped work last summer and a first priority was to plan and carry out this fundraiser ride.

They said: “We’ve always enjoyed cycling, but in a leisurely way — the only long-distance we’ve done is along the Danish west coast, so the Devon and Cornwall geography is more challenging.”

The original plan was to cycle the Cornwall section first. Unfortunately, a week before they were due to leave, Richard was laid flat by labyrinthitis, a virus which affects your balance and vision. They decided to swap some arrangements, to start off in Devon and do the Cornwall route afterwards.

They started on April 27 and reached Exeter on May 14. They then geared up to tackle the Cornwall section, visiting Wadebridge, Newquay, Truro, Falmouth and Marazion, finishing in style on May 21, at a Freedom from Torture fundraising open garden day at Tremenheere Sculpture Garden.

The couple are Quakers, members of a Quaker meeting in Tavistock. Their route was designed to visit all the Quaker groups, and the two cathedral cities, in the two counties, raising awareness and funds among friends and family as they go.

They covered Cornwall meetings, outside Truro Cathedral in St Austell and Wadebridge, receiving enthusiastic support for their challenge.

They have now reached their £8,000 target and are excited to see how much they can add.

Carolyn said: “We have done holiday hosting through Freedom from Torture for several years, and we know from these personal encounters that Freedom from Torture does tremendous work, bringing hope, health and the chance to rebuild their lives, to individual refugees and asylum seekers who have undergone torture in their own countries.

“We have been privileged to live and work in peaceful surroundings for years, and when our Freedom from Torture guests come to stay for just one week of tranquility and relaxation away from London, it makes us re-appreciate how lucky we are to be within reach of sea and green scenes in Devon and Cornwall.

“The individuals we have come to know — from a range of places, from rural Sri Lanka to the cities of the Democratic Republic of Congo — have loved the chance to walk by the sea, have a picnic on Dartmoor, or get a glimpse of farming life here.

“It is a tiny part of the healing process, which Freedom from Torture manages to achieve through their empathy and expertise.”