A KIND-hearted Halesowen construction materials company manager cycled a staggering 176 miles through Germany in just three days in aid of children’s charities.

Ian Foster, MD of Blackheath Products which is based in Fairfield Park, was one of 20 who cycled from Grob-Umstadt to Bamberg to raise more than £2,000 for Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Deutsche Kinderkrebsstiftung – the German Children with Cancer Foundation.

Mr Foster was representing the business, a trade distributor of kitchens, worktops, bathroom panelling, flooring and decorative surfaces, at a suppliers meeting in Europe when Tim Pearson, the CEO of Wilsonart, convinced him to join him in the quest.

The 66-year-old began his training at Christmas 2016, having roped in the support of his cousin and colleague Paul Foster to train alongside him and join the cyclists.

He said: “Wilsonart has a factory in Germany as well as in the UK, and Tim told me that he was organising a charity bike ride in aid of the Waldpiratencamp – the Forest Pirates camp from the Deutsche Kinderkrebsstiftung, with a team target of €10,000.

“It sounded like a challenge in aid of an incredibly worthy cause, and I asked if I could take part, dividing my support between both Deutsche Kinderkrebsstiftung and Blackheath Products’ nominated charity, BCH.

“The business has been supporting BCH since 2010 as a number of our staff have spent time there as their children suffered serious illnesses.

“Having seen the way the hospital helped those children get well, we all agreed it was a cause worthy of every ounce of support we could offer.

“The Deutsche Kinderkrebsstiftung project also struck a chord with me as one of my daughters had a brush with cancer a few years ago, and having such a personal reason to support both of these causes, I was in from the moment I heard about the ride.

“At 66, cycling 176 miles was not going to be easy. Paul is less than half my age and I knew that he’d be a great support and motivator throughout, so I was very glad that he agreed to push the pedals for charity too,” he said.

“I’m delighted to say that all of our training paid off, and that when it came to it, the ride through Germany was enjoyable rather than gruelling.

“We made some great friends among the group and we all encouraged one another throughout the journey.

“While we were both very tired at the end of it, that was overshadowed by exhilaration and a tremendous sense of achievement, and I’m proud to say we were part of such a great initiative,” he added.

To boost Blackheath Products’ fundraising efforts further, people can donate at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/blackheathproductsltd