Cyclists brave the weather to raise more than £2,000 in honour of Wigan schoolboy

A total of 37 cyclists got in the saddle to ride 25 miles from Southport to Abram and raise money for Kidscan, a charity which funds research into childhood cancers and treatments.

They were riding for 12-year-old Olly Johnson, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia just before his third birthday.

He received chemotherapy every day for three years until 2017 and is now in remission and thriving at Cansfield High School in Ashton.

Olly’s mum Donna Johnson said: “It went really well.

"However, the weather was horrendous and some people struggled more than others, as the canal was really slippery.

"The most gutting thing was our stops weren’t as busy as usual so we didn’t collect as much money as normal.

"We still got £300 on the day though and we have got around £1,800 through the website.”

The team of cyclists – dubbed Olly’s Army – included Donna, her husband Phil and Olly’s brother Callum.

Olly waved off the riders before offering his support at stops along the way, joined by Josh Cubbin, from Swinley, who was treated for Burkitt’s lymphoma at the same time as Olly. His dad Ian also took part in the ride.

The sixth annual ride raised £2,164 for Kidscan, which will be added to the thousands of pounds collected by the Johnson family since Olly’s illness.

Donations can still be made online at www.justgiving.com/page/ollys-army