After five mammoth cycle rides and £15,000 raised for charity, a 67-year-old grandmother wants to encourage more women to take on the mantle.

Jenny Versey, of Little Canfield, has just got back from a 250 mile, five-day ride in Tanzania and Zanzibar for Genesis Research Trust, which funds research into diseases of women and child birth.

However, this was the final challenge of this kind for the Dunmow Rotarian member as she is finding it hard to continually raise the money and, in her own words, is “becoming past it”.

Now her mission is to encourage more women to sign up for the fundraising events.

She said: “Every time I do it I have to raise more than £3,000 for the charity. I have raised £15,000 but you cannot keep asking the same group of people to sponsor you.

“It would be good to see some other women taking this up. I have really enjoyed the challenges and they have helped keep me fit. The first time I went I was 60 and I did not think I would be able to do it. It just shows if you put your mind to something you can achieve anything.”

In preparation for the event the grandmother-of-four was attending two to three spinning sessions a week at the gym along with weekly cycle rides, travelling distances from 10 miles to 50 miles over six months.

There were 80 other women on the latest adventure - including television presenter Fern Britton, who is very “friendly and fit” according to Jenny. And on one of the days the team were cycling in 36 degree heat.

But all her hard work paid off and Jenny raised nearly £2,000 for the charity, founded by Lord Robert Winston.

“I would like to thank all my sponsors over the years for bearing with me,” she added. “I shall miss the wonderful friendship, support and feelings of achievement that the challenges have brought and I certainly recommend the experience to other women.”

If you are interested in taking part in a Genesis Research Trust event visit genesisresearchtrust.com/events.