A scooter enthusiast will get behind his two-wheels once again to ride more than 950 miles to raise money for charity.

Jason Ude, 50, from Barry, aims to complete the physically and mentally gruelling challenge in aid of the Wales Air Ambulance in less than 24 hours.

Jason will set off from Cardiff Castle on his 24-hour challenge on 10 July and will only stop for fuel and breaks. The fundraiser will see him travel to Trafalgar Square, London, then onto Edinburgh, before returning to Wales on his Vespa 3 scooter.

And Jason is no stranger to doing this epic challenge - last year he did the same ride and raised nearly £1,300 for Breast Cancer Now.

Jason covered last year’s 956.5 miles, which saw him visit Wales, England and Scotland’s capital cities, in just 19 hours and 20 minutes. He said: “I am hoping to do it this time again in 21 hours or under my maximum time allowed, which is 24 hours, to make it a tougher challenge!”

He has set his fundraising target at £2,000 and has already raised £730 for the Wales Air Ambulance, which is now a 24/7 service and needs to raise £8 million every year to continue to save lives across Wales.

Reflecting on why he has chosen the Charity, he said: “I have chosen to raise money for the Wales Air Ambulance as it relies largely on people who donate, so I thought it had to be done. The support I have had from my friends, family and the community has been amazing.

“I am very excited about this year’s challenge, and it can’t come quickly enough for me to set off on my run doing what I love, plus to raise money for a great cause.”

Wendy McManus, community fundraiser for the Wales Air Ambulance, said: “Thank you so much to Jason, who is passionate about raising funds for charity. We’re delighted that this year he has chosen our lifesaving service to benefit from his fundraiser. The Charity is now a 24/7 service and what a fitting way to raise funds for the Charity by doing a challenge that Jason hopes to complete with 24 hours.

“We wish him well on his journey and hope the public continue to support him in his fundraiser. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far. Good luck and stay safe.”

You can show your support to Jason by donating through his Facebook fundraiser here.

There are several ways that the public can continue to support the Wales Air Ambulance. These include online donations, signing up to the Charity’s Lifesaving Lottery or by coming up with their own innovative ways to fundraise at home. Further information can be found via www.walesairambulance.com. 

Alternatively, a £5 text-message donation can be made by texting the word HELI to 70711.