Motorbiking footballers to descend on village

6:29pm Thursday 7th August 2008

Comments (7)   Have your say »

A GANG of motorbiking footballers and celebrities will be cruising their way into Cookham on Harley Davidsons this weekend.

Chelsea winger Shaun Wright-Phillips is heading a sponsored motorbike ride on Sunday afternoon which finishes at the Inn on the Green hotel on the Old Cricket Common, Cookham Dean.

He aims to raise £40,000 for children's charity Education for the Children, for which he is an ambassador.

A host of fellow Premiership players including Wayne Bridge, Steve Sidwell, Michael Essien, and dad - former England striker Ian Wright - are set to join him on the journey.

Riders, who also include celebrities such as BBC TV presenter Nick Knowles, Alex Best and Beverley Knight will arrive in Cookham around 1pm.

Mr Wright-Phillips said: "The Education for the Children charity is a really worthy cause. I have visited the village of Antigua in Guatemala where they are building one school and in the process of buying another.

"It's my duty to raise as much money as possible so the building work can continue. The kids there have very little and few of the opportunities that I took for granted growing up in the UK, and I'm really committed to trying to help the children there to have an education and a better life."

Charity spokeswoman Amy Holly said: " The charity is currently desperate for funds to buy a new school building to cater for 200 more children in 2009.

"We hope that with Shaun's help we will be able to raise the purchase price of £150,000 by the end of the year."

For more information go to http://www.eftc.org.uk/