Cyclists taking part in an annual 200-mile charity cycle ride will be spending their first night in Grantham.

The Queen Eleanor Cycle Ride takes place over the August Bank Holiday and helps raise vital funds to support The Connection's work with homeless people.

The event is also appealing for regular cyclists to join the popular and growing fundraiser.

Since 2008, a group of cyclists have spent the August Bank Holiday following the route of the Queen Eleanor Crosses from Harby, near Lincoln to Charing Cross and Westminster Abbey in London.

This year is no different! The 200-mile ride begins at Harby on Friday morning, August 28, and finishes at Westminster Abbey on Monday afternoon, August 31.

The weekend ends with a celebration just off Trafalgar Square, with overnight stops in church halls at Grantham, Geddington and Dunstable. All food (including a great deal of cake!), and back up transport for luggage and emergencies is provided.

The first overnight stop is in Grantham, staying at Harrowby Lane Methodist Church.

Home comforts are limited, sleeping on the floor with sleeping bags but with a hearty evening meal cooked by local supporters and porridge second-to-none for breakfast.

In the morning it's up early and off visiting the site of the Eleanor Cross, now occupied by a statue of Isaac Newton.

A group of 30 cyclists, the team is divided up into smaller groups of riders who travel at similar speeds setting off from near where Edward 1's Queen Eleanor of Castile died in 1290.

King Edward 1 arranged for his dead wife's body to be carried to London with crosses bearing statues of the Queen - the Queen Eleanor Crosses - to be erected at places where the procession stopped overnight.

Retracing the route of the funeral cortege, the ride pays a visit to Eleanor's tomb in Lincoln Cathedral with a fine tea at Brant Broughton Quaker Meeting House.

The main purpose of the Queen Eleanor Cycle Ride is to raise funds for the Friends of the Connection, which is a charity committed to raising at least £250,000 each year to support the work of The Connection at St Martin-in-the-Fields, London's busiest homeless centre.

The Connection works with over 4,000 homeless and vulnerable people in central London every year, seeking to help them to move away from the streets and into a more settled life.

Last year the cyclists raised £16,000, with a target this year of £20,000. You can find out more about the work of The Connection at www.connection-at-stmartins.org.uk

Each personal story of a homeless person brings its own tale of heartache.

Charles Woodd, Chair of the Friends of the Connection, sets the scene: "The number of people sleeping rough in central London every night sadly keeps growing. It's doubled in just 5 years. The Connection at St Martin's provides a range of vital services to help homeless and vulnerable people take the steps they need to in order to get back into society."

Keith Busfield from Stamford simply puts it: "As someone who doesn't need to worry about having a roof over my head nor food to eat, I am very proud to be able to support those who go out and help homeless people to rebuild their lives."

For every £100 raised it gives someone homeless two nights in the warmth and safety of an emergency Night Centre, with showers, hot nutritious food, and a 1-2-1 support session with a keyworker.

Spaces for the event will be allocated on a first come, first served basis and are limited to 30 people. If you would like further information, and want to express provisional interest, please email [email protected] or ring Charles Woodd on 07962 213494.