A FOREST of Dean woman will ride a series of five mountain bike rides, covering a total of 200 miles to raise money for Guts UK, in memory of her late brother, Steven Avery.

Claire Avery, from Sling, is planning to tackle the rides over one week, with five different routes covering much of the Forest of Dean and the Wye Valley, accompanied by Maxine Brooks and Sophie Claridge. On some rides, they will be joined by Neil Batten, Astrid Freuler, David Russell, Claire Mansfield and Linda Callow.

The first ride, planned for Sunday, June 29, will begin and finish in Sling, passing areas like Parkend, Upper Lydbrook, Ruardean Hill, Littledean and Mallards Pike. The ride, affectionately nicknamed “Steven’s ride”, is approximately 40 miles.

On Thursday, February 20, Claire’s brother passed away from esophageal cancer at the age of 61. Steven had been diagnosed with the condition in April 2019. It’s an especially cruel form of cancer which can involve highly invasive procedures such as endoscopies for treatment and detection.

Diagnosing esophageal cancer can be tricky as symptoms are often the same as other conditions. As a result, this can often lead to delays, and the condition can progress.

However, scientists have been researching a simple breath test which could detect esophageal cancer at a very early stage. The research has been ongoing for over 15 years, but reports from 2023 suggest the tests could soon be rolled out.

Claire hopes the bike challenge can raise £2,500 to help fund the vital research, which is the equivalent cost of one endoscopy.

Claire said: “I feel like I need to do something just to help other people. Steven’s situation would have been much different if they had detected it sooner, and he was such a selfless person, I know he would like me to try to help other people.”

On the final day of the challenge, Sunday July 6, the trio of Claire, Maxine and Sophie is inviting anybody to join them on the Cannops Cycle Trail - whether that’s cycling, walking or running.

This will end at Beechenhurst, where the family will remember Steven. Claire said Steven was a very gentle and hard-working man, and leaves behind his partner Sue Jones and four children; Jamie, Chloe, Jack and Grace.

Claire set-up an online fundraiser through JustGiving, where donors can contribute and leave messages.

One donor, Justine Rowley said: “What a lovely thing to do, Claire. Such a great cause, and in honour of your dear brother.”

Another donor, Penny Meredith said: “Thinking of you, remembering Steve and wishing you, Maxine and Sophie the very best of luck in your challenge.”

The fundraiser has nearly reached half of its goal with over 50 supporters, and any further donations are welcomed.

Claire said: “If you would like to donate, any amount big or small would be very gratefully received.”

If you want to help Claire’s cause, you can visit the JustGiving website and type “Claire Batten” into the search bar for more information.