A cycling enthusiast is taking on a mammoth ride to raise money and awareness after his father suffered a stroke.

Jon Burchell, 40, of Brook Mead, Epsom, will cycle from London to Paris as part of a ride organised by The Stroke Association.

Mr Burchell’s father, Michael, 76, suffered a stroke on April 12 and he said it has changed the family’s lives forever.

Up until the stroke, Mr Burchell’s father, a chiropodist, was a known workaholic, who has never had a day-off sick during a career spanning 50 years.

Mr Burchell said: "My dad had always been such an active man and to see him knocked down with such immediacy has been so distressing for the whole family.

"My Dad, like any other stroke victim, has an uphill struggle to recover from this. I have every faith though that he will. Not least because he is the hardest working person I have ever known."

Mr Burchell said that with May being Action on Stroke month, he wants to raise awareness of issues around stroke, which he believes are under-represented in the media.

He said: "I love the open space and love riding my bike, but this will be an entirely new challenge for me.

"I'm doing it to say thank you for those people that are caring for my dad, to raise as much money as I can for such a worthwhile cause as the Stroke Association and, having just turned 40, to get myself fit and hopefully avoid a stroke in the future."

This Sunday, June 3, Mr Burchell will be holding a stall at the Epsom Farmers' market selling cupcakes and other items to raise money for The Stroke Association, and handing out balloons and leaflets with information about strokes.

To make a donation to the Stroke Association, sponsor Mr Burchell at www.justgiving.com/jonburchell and visit www.stroke.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do to learn more about the Stroke Association’s work.

For information about Action on Stroke Month visit http://www.stroke.org.uk/professionals/action-stroke-month-2012