FIVE-year-old Xander Brown is a boy on a mission. He has set his heart on raising cash for Magpas and will undertake a sponsored charity bike ride later this month.

Xander, a pupil at St John’s School in Ely, has already collected around £50 from well wishers, and he is determined to raise even more money for the emergency medical charity.

Mum Michelle said: “He has been wanting to raise money for charity for a while, and I said he had to wait for the school holidays. We discussed what he might do, and I explained to him the importance of the air ambulance service to Ely, because Addenbrooke’s Hospital is so far away.”

Xander has been a confident cyclist for about a year. “He bikes to school every day, and has recently had a new bike,” said Michelle. “He has been riding for a year without stabilisers.

“We plan to do a bike ride around Wicken Fen on August 12, there is no pressure on him about what distance we might cover, but there are plenty of circular rides, and I will hire a bike so I can go with him.”

As the day of the cycle ride approaches, Xander has been busy collecting more sponsorship. “He even go the ladies at Gibbs to sponsor him when he had a new pair of shoes, and at his swimming lessons he asked people at the Paradise pool to sponsor him.”

To sponsor Xander, go to www.virginmoneygiving.com/XanderBrown