Super Xander to bike 50 miles for Magpas

Prolific Ely fundraiser Xander Brown may only be eight – but he’s about to embark on his sixth bike ride for Magpas Air Ambulance – and this time, he’s set the bar higher still.
On August 7 the Ely St John’s year three student will endeavour a 50 mile cycle to and around Cambridge over two days to raise money for his favourite charity.
Xander has raised over £1200 for Magpas and has twice been invited to visit the lifesaving team at their base in Huntingdon.
Xander first became interested in fundraising at the age of five when his mum, Michelle, decided to take part in Comic Relief.
“He really liked the idea and said he wanted to do something for charity. Then one day we were shopping and Xander spotted one of the Magpas collection tins at the till and asked me, ‘What is the cool helicopter about?’ I explained and the rest is history!”
That year, Xander completed an impressive eight mile bike ride – something he has repeated and improved on every year since.
Last year, at the age of seven, he cycled 28 miles.
Not to be outdone, he hopes his 50-mile bike challenge will raise even more money for “a charity that saves lives every day with no government funding”.
Set up 45 years ago, Magpas Air Ambulance has over 60 highly trained doctors and paramedics, many of whom are volunteers and support the Ambulance Service.
Magpas attend incidents of life-threatening illness or major trauma across the East of England and beyond. In March alone they were dispatched 130 times.
To sponsor Xander go to http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=XanderBrown