Aaliyah Mulhall, aged three, from Isleham was the youngest of 97 riders of all ages who took part in a sponsored ride in Thetford Forest last Sunday. Riders had a choice of riding five or 12 miles, and Aaliyah, led by her mother Sarah, completed five mile

Aaliyah Mulhall, aged three, from Isleham was the youngest of 97 riders of all ages who took part in a sponsored ride in Thetford Forest last Sunday. Riders had a choice of riding five or 12 miles, and Aaliyah, led by her mother Sarah, completed five miles. The event, which raised in excess of £2000, was one of a series of fund-raising events for Macmillan Cancer Support being organised by Val Pocock from Prickwillow which will culminate in Val spending a week making her way across the Yanshan Mountains on the Great Wall of China Hiking Challenge next March. She will trek for about seven hours each day, with some very steep climbs (including the 300 steps of Heaven's Ladder) along one of the Great Wonders of the World.

Two years ago, Val climbed 14,000 feet through rain forests to Machu Picchu, in Peru, to raise more than £5,000 for Macmillan and is hoping to raise a similar amount this time around.

Aaliyah is Val's granddaughter, and Aaliyah's mum Sarah said: "The riding challenge we faced was a very minor one compared with the challenge people with cancer face every day, and Aaliyah and I wanted to do our bit to help such a worthy cause. Also, it was great fun."

INFO: Anyone interested in sponsoring Val for her hike in China should email max@oneservice.co.uk.

Photo: CLODAGH PHOTOGRAPHY