A Stevenage councillor joined some of the world’s top cyclists at the weekend while raising funds to help tackle worldwide poverty.

Andy McGuinness, who represents the Manor ward on Stevenage Borough Council, took part in the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 on Sunday.

The 31-year-old completed the 100-mile course alongside his partner Tricia Cassidy, 31, and her 26-year-old brother, Martin, with the trio raising just under £2,000 for ActionAid – an international charity fighting poverty in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

The route started at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and followed a route through the capital and into Surrey, before going back into London to finish on The Mall.

The ride, completed by more than 20,000 people, was part of a wider cycling event created as a legacy to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Over the weekend cycling stars such as Olympic champion Marianne Vos and Hertfordshire’s own Laura Trott competed in an elite race, which also finished on The Mall.

About the experience, Mr McGuinness said: “ActionAid is an amazing charity that works within some of the most deprived and vulnerable communities in the world.

“We have some of the best cycle routes in the country and with some large hills across the town, Stevenage is a good place to train.

“The ride was tough, especially when it was raining heavily over some of the Surrey hills, but any pain is not without gain and everything we raise will be going to a fantastic cause.”

To make a donation visit www.justgiving.com/Andy-Martin-Tricia-do-Ride100/.