A GROUP of cyclists from a disabled charity in Oxford will ride to Northern France to mark the 65th anniversary of D-Day.

A total of 18 riders and three support staff from the Pathway Workshop, in Dunnock Way, Greater Leys, will set out from Abingdon next Friday to complete a 300-mile round trip.

The group will head to Abingdon’s twin town of Argentan, before heading back within three days.

Pathway Workshop makes garden furniture and other wooden items and gives training and employment to adults with physical and learning disabilities.

Mike Kyle, Pathway’s managing director, said: “One of our workers, Richard Smart, sits on the Abingdon twinning committee as he used to look after the school-exchange programme.

“They were discussing doing something for D-Day and somebody suggested a bike ride. Richard, quick-witted, said you could do it for Pathway Workshop.

“We’ve done most of the organisation and, not being a biker, it has been fairly new to me.

“The French side has been extremely positive — the twin link between Abingdon and Argentan seems to be flourishing and extremely strong.

“They have organised a route for us with stopping points which means we are going to be at Pegasus Bridge, over the Caen canal when they are celebrating. We will be at Falaise for their celebrations and we’ll end up at Argentan for their D-Day event.”

The Pathway group will leave Abingdon Market Square at 9am with the aim of catching an overnight ferry from Portsmouth to Caen.

On the return leg on the Sunday, some Pathway representatives will stay an extra night in Caen to see a similar disabled workshop which has managed to secure European Union funding.

Mr Kyle said of the trip: “It’s a hell of a challenge. A lot of them haven’t been out of the country, and some probably haven’t been out of the county.

“It’s going to be very tough, like an able-bodied person climbing to the top of Everest.

“But it is a wonderful opportunity and they will be seeing another world — a different language, different money, foreign hotels, and biking on the other side of the road.

“A lot of them haven’t been in hotels here, so it’s all going to be part of what we do at Pathway — creating people who can be independent.”

He added: “The people who will find it the biggest challenge are putting in most of the training. It’s a level of determination such as I’ve not seen before. People who have only ridden to the shops have been cycling 20 or 25 miles — it’s brilliant to see them putting in such a huge effort.”

The group hopes to raise £5,000. To sponsor the ride visit justgiving.com/pathwayworkshop tairs@oxfordmail.co.uk