Hospital staff and Sir Jimmy Savile pedal their way on a virtual tour of the county

Staff from the eye clinic at St James’s University Hospital were joined by Sir Jimmy Savile to raise £411.18 by completing a bike ride with a difference - it was on a static exercise bike and they never even left the clinic!

The 137-mile “virtual” bike ride was the equivalent of cycling the West Yorkshire Cycle Way, a circular route that wends its way around the borders of the county. Staff and Sir Jimmy Savile - a long standing friend of the Leeds Teaching Hospitals and Yorkshire Eye Research - took turns to cycle sections of the route.

The ride was organised to help raise awareness and funds for Yorkshire Eye Research, a charity which aims to raise money in Yorkshire to support research in Yorkshire into the causes, prevention and treatment of diseases of the eye.

Consultant ophthalmologist, Mr Martin McKibbin, who helped organise the ride, said: ”This has been a fantastic way to boost awareness of the work that Yorkshire Eye Research does, as well as to raising some cash and burning a few calories. The ride has been a huge success - it has been brilliant to do it on a static bike as none of the cyclists have had to worry about coping with the winter weather!’

Charity bike ride at St James University Hospital