Colin Bedford raises £4,000 with100-mile cycle challenge around March for Hinchingbrooke Hospital

A man in his 80s has raised thousands after taking on a 100-mile cycling challenge around his home town to thank a hospital that saved his eyesight.

Colin Bedford, 87, had an injury playing badminton 11 years ago which caused his retina to tear and saw him rushed to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge for emergency surgery.

Ever since his injury, he has been receiving eye injections at Hinchingbrooke Hospital every month with his 100th one taking place at the end of last month.

Colin set himself a challenge of cycling 100 miles on a 100-year-old bicycle around the March area to raise funds for the Hinchingbrooke Hospital and completed it last Friday, raising nearly £4,000 with still more funds to collect from local shops.

He finished up riding the last quarter of a mile into Hinchingbrooke Hospital on a 150-year-old tricycle where he was met by the executives, staff and nurses, and the mayor of Huntingdon who all greeted him alongside his friend Brian Cundy of Wisbech who has accompanied Colin several times throughout the 100 miles.

Once all the money has been collected, Colin will be presenting the cheque to the hospital at the end of March and the cash will be going to the Sunflower Eye Clinic at Hinchingbrooke.

He said: “Each eye injection I have had costs the hospital £600, so it is a lot of money spent on me so it is nice to be able to give back to the hospital.”