A retired GP and captain at Henlle Park golf club near Oswestry will be taking on a 170-mile bike ride this month.

Robert Smith from Oswestry will be cycling a coast to coast route, named The Way Of The Roses, from Morecambe on the west coast to Bridlington on the east coast, with three other retired GP's.

They will be raising money for Horatio's Garden at the Orthopaedic hospital in Gobowen.

Robert said: "Horatio's Garden is a charity set up in memory of Horatio Chapple who spent much of his young life helping others on the spinal unit in Salisbury.

"I find the possibility of loosing your mobility and independence in an instant impossible to contemplate.

"Horatio's Garden creates and cares for beautiful accessible gardens in NHS Spinal Injuries Centres. These gardens are stunning sanctuaries away from the clinical space for patients, their friends and family, creating an environment which becomes an integral and fundamental part of their and care whilst spending many months of rehabilitation in hospital. The gardens provide hope and a glimpse of life and normality outside the hospital.

"Horatio's Garden has launched an appeal to build a garden at the Midlands Centre for Spinal Injuries at our local hospital in Gobowen. Many of our members and friends work at the hospital, and we also have a member who was a patient on the spinal injuries unit.

"We are are delighted to to be supporting a local and such a worthwhile charity."

Robert has been training for the coast to coast bike ride for six weeks.

He added: "I've not done any distance cycling in the past but I have completed short bike rides. I have been training in all sorts of weather!

"I'm hoping to raise £1,500 but of course a bit more would be great."

The ride is taking place on May 15. To support Robert you can visit his fundraising page mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/doctorrob