AN IMAGE of cattle herders carrying guns in rural Ethiopia will inspire a Thornbury-based intern when she sets off on a sponsored 85-mile sponsored cycle ride from Bristol to Oxford on Saturday (June 13).

Twenty-two year-old Becky Hannam will complete one leg of a 19-day person-powered 1,000mile tour around the UK from Glasgow to London as a total of 15 Christian Aid interns seek to raise the profile of the climate change issues they witnessed first-hand on a trip to Ethiopia last autumn.

Becky, who lives in Bradley Stoke and is spending a year volunteering in the Thornbury office, was moved by the many ways climate change is destabilising vulnerable communities.

She said: “Before I went I thought I had a good understanding of how erratic weather patterns are impacting on communities which have little ability to adapt.

“We spent two weeks in Ethiopia and visited projects where Christian Aid is working with partners to improve access to water.

“But what struck me the most was how the lack of water has raised tension and the potential for conflict.

“Cattle herders were carrying rifles as protection as they took their livestock to graze or to water because of the pressure on diminished resources.

“Imagine if that were the case for us here in the UK! So, as a group, we interns will be walking, cycling and canoeing 1,000 miles culminating in a mass lobby of MPs in London on Wednesday June 17 organised by the Climate Coalition.”

Becky’s stretch will take her a day and a half and together the interns hope to raise £5,000 for the charity’s work supporting climate change-affected communities around the world.

She said: “Training hasn’t gone as well as I hoped – I learnt the hard way about the importance of carrying a puncture kit after having to push my bike back home form Thornbury to Bradley Stoke!

“But I have had an amazing year with Christian Aid and seeing how its work changes lives will hopefully keep me going for the 85 miles.”

Thornbury supporters will join Becky in London lobbying the new Thornbury and Yate MP Luke Hall, urging him to make tackling climate change a priority.

Over 70 volunteers took part in Christian Aid Week in Thornbury last month and organisers are hoping to have raised over £5,000 through events and door to door collections.

To sponsor Becky visit www.justgiving.com/Collective1000/