FAMILY and friends of a Worcestershire student who was killed while backpacking in New Zealand are cycling from Land’s End to John O’ Groats to raise money for a charity set up in her memory.

Emily Jordan drowned while riverboarding in the Kawarau river, near Queenstown, in April last year.

The 21-year-old former Alice Ottley School pupil was travelling with her boyfriend after graduating from Swansea University with a first class degree in law.

Weeks after Miss Jordan’s death her family set up the Emily Jordan Foundation, which aims to help adults with learning difficulties.

Father Chris Jordan, boyfriend Jonny Armour and brother Alex Jordan are part of a team of six cyclists who set off from Land’s End on Monday. The team will be joined by a further 20 cyclists when they stop off in Upton-upon-Severn before passing through Worcester city centre on Saturday. Chris Jordan hopes supporters turn out in force to greet them on the High Street and join in with the fund-raising.

Mr Jordan, of Trimpley, near Bewdley, said: “We will have collection tins and buckets and will all be wearing specially printed T-shirts to let everyone know who we are. We all got off to a good start on Monday morning at 8am from Land’s End, finishing up at Bodmin. It was a hot and tough day, but a lot of fun. Initially we thought we were going to have problems – within the first five miles one person had fallen off, one person got lost and we had two chains off. After that things got a lot better.”

The team hope to complete the 874-mile journey in 20 days, reaching John O’Groats on Saturday, June 20.

The past year has seen friends and family raise £42,000 for the foundation.

The Mayor of Worcester Andy Roberts will be meeting the team outside the Guildhall on Saturday at 11.30am.

To sponsor the cyclists, visit theemilyjordanfoundation.org.uk and click on The Big Bike Ride link.

l The owner of the New Zealand riverboarding company has been charged with failing to ensure the actions or inaction of employees did not harm Miss Jordan and will stand trial in August.