Mark Paxford is taking to the saddle for the first time in 30 years in memory of his teenage daughter Emily, who died last year.

Emily, 13, died in January 2011 after a brave battle against a brain tumour – three years after her twin brother George beat a rare form of leg cancer.

Both siblings were given national awards for their courageous fights against their respective cancers.

Now dad Mark, 50, from Derry Hill, is cycling 200 miles to raise money for Children’s Hospice South West’s Charlton Farm hospice, in Bristol, where Emily spent her final weeks.

He said: “I wanted to do something for the hospice because it is simply fantastic.

“Emily was there for her last month. She had a lovely room with views over the countryside.

“They allowed her rabbit to live just outside and it was allowed in the room. They even had a Shetland pony come in to the hospice.”

He said having the hospice also made the hardest of times a little easier for the rest of the family.

Mark, his wife Christine and George, who is now 15, were able to stay at Charlton Farm so they could spend as much time as possible with Emily.

He said: “There has been nothing easy about what we have all been through but it gave us the chance to focus our time on Emily.

“It was nice to not have to worry about cooking dinner or going shopping or any of the other day-to-day things.

“We would just be able to watch films and play games. And the hospice staff would take George out so he had plenty of things to do. It really is a fantastic place.”

Mark, who works as an insurance underwriter, will be among 100 participants cycling 200 miles from CHSW’s St Austell hospice, in Cornwall, to Charlton Farm, over three days in June.

He will also be joined by Steve Calder, who is the father of Emily’s best friend Katy.

“I hadn’t been on a bike since I was about 18,” said Mark, “and me and Steve are very unfit.

“Steve has lost 25lbs since we started practising in June last year and I have lost about a stone.

“We will have to step up our training now to get ready for it and hopefully we can raise a good amount of money.”

To sponsor Mark, visit www.

virginmoneygiving.com/team/Team Emily