The 53-year-old from Yorkshire, who is a Help for Heroes Patron, gave his backing during a visit to the Recovery Centre at Tedworth House where he met troops who have been affected by life-changing injuries and illness and who will benefit from crucial funds raised by the 2013 Hero Ride initiative.

The ride itself is due to take place on June 2 and will see cyclists from across the country staging fundraising bike rides before meeting en masse in Blackheath to ride together into central London.

Led by 100 servicemen, women and veterans, Hero Ride will be the biggest cycling demonstration of national support for the wounded the United Kingdom has ever seen and the British public are encouraged sign up to be part of the event.

The 2013 Hero Ride is aiming to raise more than £2 million ($3.2 million/€2.5 million) for Help for Heroes.

"I was very privileged this week to spend time with some incredible young men and women at the Help for Heroes-run Recovery Centre at Tedworth House," said Clarkson.

"I met a number of troops who have been wounded both here and overseas in conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq and to see where the funding that Help for Heroes has raised has been spent was quite an eye opener.

"Tedworth House is an amazing place where service personnel can recover and has state of the art recovery facilitates in a comfortable environment for both them and their visiting families.

"I'd like to encourage as many of the great British public as possible to take to their bikes for the Hero Ride event and fundraise in what will be a brilliant day to raise money and also celebrate our heroes."


The 2013 Hero Ride fundraiser will take in some of London's most iconic landmarks, including the Cenotaph and Buckingham Palace before culminating at Horse Guards Parade.

"Hero Ride is another chance for the great British public to get behind our troops, whether they are riding, fundraising or cheering on the streets, we urge everyone to get involved," said Help for Heroes chief executive Bryn Parry.

"With the withdrawal from Afghanistan drawing closer, it is easy to think the job is over but actually the battle has just begun.

"Challenges such as this allow our support to continue, for life."

People are being encouraged to sign up to Self-Organised Hero Rides, where cyclists from any ability and age form fundraising rides to reach Blackheath on June 2 to join with 900 other riders in the finale.

The distances cycled and amounts raised are the responsibility of the ride organisers.

On June 2, a further 250 riders will take part in Dawn Raid, which is a tougher challenge for the serious, sporting rider.

These cyclists will cycle from Tedworth House in Wiltshire to Blackheath, which is a distance of over 150 miles.

For members of the public not wishing or able to cycle, they are encouraged to line the streets of The Mall and cheer on the riders to help in fundraising on the day.

To find out how to get involved in Hero Ride, to sign up and to donate up please visit www.heroride.org.uk

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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