A WOMAN from Worcester has embarked on a 300-mile cycle trek across the rugged terrain of Vietnam and Cambodia.

Former Droitwich High School student Sophie Curnock is taking on the eight-day challenge to raise funds for Parkinson’s UK.

Miss Curnock, aged 27, hopes to raise awareness of the disease and funds for the charity.

“Most people have had somebody close who has been affected by Parkinson’s. But I think it gets forgotten about and a lot of people have not heard about Parkinson’s UK, so this is about raising awareness for the charity as well,” she said.

Miss Curnock is relieved to be on the trip at all, having suffered broken ribs and a foot injury during her build-up.

However, she is fighting fit and determined to complete the challenge with her 30-strong group.

She needs to raise at least £3,200 and can be sponsored online at justgiving.com/ sophie-curnock.

Her mum Gina, a funeral director at Hollands, in Malvern, will be lending a helping hand by dedicating the business’s annual ‘Christmas morning’ to Parkinson’s UK.

Between 10.20am-1pm on Wednesday, December 5, visitors can enjoy a cup of coffee or glass of sherry and hang a star on a “memorial tree” in memory of a loved one.