A specialist north-east befriending charity is to benefit from thousands of pounds raised through a mammoth cycling challenge.
Next month, Aberdeen banker Steve Rae will pedal 500 miles to major cities including Inverness, Glasgow and Edinburgh in aid of Befriend a Child.
He will set off from the Granite City on May 26, looping round the country and returning home five days later.
While he has been a keen cyclist since 2014, Mr Rae has been putting in extra effort in recent months to build up the stamina he will need to complete his challenge.
He has also been supported by his colleagues at Handselbanken, who are helping him collect donations and even sponsored his cycling kit.
Mr Rae said: “Befriend a Child has always been a charity we at Handelsbanken have been aware of and supported.
“We all have children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews in our lives who have been very fortunate to have happy childhood experiences, so when we heard there were over 8,000 children in the north-east alone who aren’t so fortunate, the team knew we had to do something to help.
He added: “I think the most challenging part will be pacing myself and making sure I plan enough stops to refuel.
“Luckily my colleague Neil will be close by during the journey to make sure I’m staying healthy and safe.”