A VILLAGE footballer is gearing up to embark on a marathon bike ride to Europe next week to raise money for charity.

David Blackmore, who plays for Kershaw Senior B side Outwell Swifts, will attempt to cycle the 139 miles – as the crow flies – that separates King’s Lynn and Calais next Thursday in the Vancouver Quarter on an exercise bike.

There will also be another exercise bike next to the Upwell resident to allow members of the public to help reduce the amount of miles he needs to cover by 20 per cent (28 miles).

The 24-year-old is attempting the cycle so that he can take part in his second charity challenge revamping a school while also raising money for bowel cancer research.

The challenge will see him joining a group of volunteers who will fly out to the Damaraland region of Namibia to give a much-needed facelift to Tubusis Primary School in an international project run by the Bobby Moore Fund.

It comes after he helped revamp a school in South Africa last year as part of a similar project for the charity.

To take part, he needs to raise at least �4,000, half of which will go towards bowel cancer research and the rest going to the project costs.

To sponsor David, visit www.justgiving.com/davidblackmore4.