Staff from a homeless charity will be taking part in a charity bike ride to raise money for its building appeal.

The four colleagues who work at Anchor House, will be taking on the Prudential RideLondon Business Relay on August 4. Derek Pitt, James McNicholas, Jamie Crust and Malik Seidu-Darbu will cycle an impressive 25 miles each in a bid to raise money for the charity’s Home and Hope Appeal, which aims to raise £9.3 million in order to refurbish the 50 year old building and construct 25 move-on flats for residents making the transition into independent living.

Derek Pitt, deputy director and team captain, said: “The whole team is really looking forward to the race and we’ve all been training hard. We help up to 220 homeless people a year, and the Appeal aims to ensure that we can provide them with the best possible support. Knowing that we’re raising money for such a fantastic cause makes it all worthwhile and I feel privileged to be working alongside such dedicated colleagues.”

Held for the first time this year, Prudential RideLondon promises to be a first-class festival of cycling and will be broadcast live on TV in the UK and overseas, to be seen by an audience of millions. Starting at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, the route will take cyclists through the capital and Surrey’s beautiful countryside, before finishing on the Mall in central London.

The team have already raised £600, but have a way to go if they are to reach their target of £2000. If you want to sponsor the team, go to their JustGiving page: www.justgiving.com/Anchor-House-Ride-London