Mayor of Worcester Jabba Riaz is walking 50 kilometres next month to support one of the city’s best-loved charities – and is calling for local residents to sponsor him.

Councillor Riaz will be joining members of the Worcestershire Ambassadors on September 8 to walk a challenging 50km stretch of the River Thames path, from Runnymeade to Henley on Thames.

He’s looking to raise sponsorship of £1,650, with the money being donated to the St Richard’s Hospice Build 2020 campaign, helping the charity to expand its premises to support over 4,000 people a year by 2021 – a 25 per cent increase on the service it currently provides.

The initiative will help St Richard’s offer new and expanded services, supporting people from the point they are diagnosed, improving their quality of life and providing support to their family.

Cllr Riaz is already in training for the 50k walk and is calling on city folk to sponsor his efforts on the Just Giving website at justgiving.com/Jabba-Riaz.

He said: “I have had a personal friend of the family who was able to enjoy the last few weeks of their life in this beautiful place.

"St Richard’s Hospice provide a valuable service to the community, bringing dignity, respect and privacy to those in need of end of life care.

“The staff do a fantastic job so I have teamed up with Worcestershire Ambassadors to do a painstaking 50km walk in aid of this brilliant charity – so please donate generously.”