A FORMER tyre fitter is preparing to cycle across Kenya to raise thousands of pounds to help improve people's quality of life.

Fifty-five-year-old Gary Williams, from Broughton Hackett, near Worcester, will travel 400km (248 miles) in the Transaid cycle ride.

With support from companies, including Hankook Tyres and Broughton Spa in Broughton Hackett, Mr Williams said he was now looking forward to the event, which gets underway in Nairobi on Saturday, November 10.

"I'm really getting excited about the idea of 22 of us cycling across this stunning country, including BBC Radio 2's own traffic expert Sally traffic' Boazman," he said.

A former tyre fitter, Mr Williams is now a business development manager with Direct Tyre Management and one of the trustees of Transaid.

Although he has never tackled anything as challenging before, he said the prospect of cycling through Kenya was "truly appealing" both as an adventure and a way to raise money for the charity.

The 400km ride gets underway in Nairobi before heading through Rift Valley to Kisumu.

Transaid is an international development charity which aims to improve people's quality of life by making transport more available and affordable.

It says that poor access to transport is seriously undermining the health and wealth of people in developing countries and Transaid seeks a world where transport contributes fully to a better quality of life.

For further details of the cycle ride log onto www.transaid.org and to help support Mr Williams call 07950 179675.