AS everyone who knows Liz Hizli is aware, her passion for raising much needed funds for Grove House often goes way beyond the call of duty.

So it was no great surprise when Liz – community fundraiser for Iain Rennie Grove House Hospice Care – announced to her colleagues earlier this year that she was entering the gruelling Deloitte Ride Across Britain.

That event was a cycle ride from John O’Groats to Lands End, completed in June by Liz, her partner John Pilny and her brother-in-law Simon Gay, with the aim of raising �10,000 for the hospice.

Their goal has now been exceeded and two months on from the cycle ride Liz, John and Simon are delighted, and rather proud, to announce that they have raised �12,036 for Grove House from the many generous donations and sponsorship they have received from family, friends, colleagues and businesses.

Said Liz: “John, Simon and I would like to thank the many people who supported us to achieve the amazing sum raised. In particular we would like to thank E&J Gallo Winery Europe Barefoot Brand who so generously sponsored us for over �5,000 to enter the organised cycle challenge. Nuffield Gym generously gave us free membership of their spinning classes in the run up to the bike ride, to enable us to be fit as possible for the Challenge. We would also like to thank Dan Chapman at Giant, the bike shop, in Radlett, who so kindly loaned us the racing bikes we used in the Challenge. We could not have completed the event without them.”

The cycle challenge took nine days and was 961 miles long. For Liz the biggest challenges were getting used to the race bike, and riding up the steep hills they encountered during several days of atrocious weather.

The best memory for Liz, apart from the finish line, was the first three days of the challenge, during the dry weather, as they cycled through the glorious scenery of the Great Glen in Scotland.

The trio are now gearing up for yet more cycling challenges. Liz and John are looking forward to their cycling holiday in the New Forest very soon and Simon is ready to take part in the Deloitte Ride Across Britain again next year.