THE brother of a former Malvern schoolgirl who tragically fell to her death in Siberia has set himself his toughest fund-raising challenge yet.

Richard Brown, of Worcester, founded sports charity the Joanna Brown Trust after his sister died, aged 30, while walking along Lake Baikal in August 2008.

Over the past two years, the trust has raised thousands of pounds for sporting equipment and encouraged people to be more active in memory of Miss Brown’s adventurous spirit.

The latest fund-raising effort will see Mr Brown and four friends cycle 270 miles along a series of roads in Germany, a route known as the Romantic Road.

Although most people usually follow the popular tourist trail from Würzburg to Füssen, the group will cycle the other way so they can finish the challenge in Würzburg, where Miss Brown lived for a year.

Mr Brown said: “We’ve always tried to do things that have echoes of Jo’s life.

“She spent a year at Würzburg University studying German law. Jo loved Germany and it was a key part of her life.”

Mr Brown will take on the challenge with his sister’s friend Jo Lunn, from Malvern, and friends she lived with while in Germany, while his parents will man the support vehicle.

The group will set off on Monday, September 13, and plan to finish on Saturday, September 18, when they will have a meal in honour of the former Dyson Perrins schoolgirl. Mr Brown, aged 29, of Warndon Villages, said: “It’s going to be a challenging trip.

“We’ve been training a lot for it and I’ve lost three stone since November.

“I feel physically we are ready for it but we realise there’s the emotional challenge to it all as well.

“On our third day cycling, it would have been Jo’s 33rd birthday and we are making our way to Würzburg, where we had all been to visit her.

“But we are hoping that will spur us on.”

Mr Brown thanked staff at Listers VW in St John’s for its support along with Halfords, which has lent the team bikes and equipment, and Endura and Science in Support.

The group hopes to raise £5,000 and supporters can donate via justgiving.com/ theromanticroad.

More information about the trust is available at TheJoannaBrownTrust.org.