RAF reservists will mark two milestones by cycling 70 miles in aid of a charity close to their hearts on Saturday.

Twenty-five members of 4626 squadron, an aeromedical evacuation reserve unit, will set out from their home base at RAF Lyneham on Battle of Britain Day.

The cycle will happen just two days before the squadron is due to leave Lyneham for Brize Norton.

All the cash raised will go towards the RAF Benevolent Fund, which supports RAF members and their families.

Team members will meet at Lyneham on Saturday before travelling to Dover, where the cycle begins at a flight command memorial. Cyclists will finish an exhausting day in London’s Green Park, where another memorial to mark the bravery of the RAF lies.

David Gingell, from Calne, has been a flight medic for the squadron for three years. He was in Afghanistan until January, flying local nationals to hospitals in the area, and will be cycling with the team.

He said: “We decided if we were going to do it let’s do a proper cycle ride, it’s going to be painful but it’s worth it for the charity.”