A biker is hosting a pub fundraiser in Swindon in memory of her friends who died in fatal crashes on the area's roads. 

Zoe Large lost her friend Mike Allen after a crash on the A419 near Blunsdon on July, 6 2022 while another of her friends from the Swindon biker community lost her life when she collided with a tree on Tuesday (July 30), on the B4425 in Barnsley, near Cirencester.

A summer fundraiser will be held at the Nine Elms pub in West Swindon on Sunday, August 25 from 6pm to pay tribute to them and raise money for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance and Mental Health Motorbike, which provides free mental health support for bikers.

Zoe said: “I did a fundraiser last year as I and number of other motorbikes saw our friend, work colleague and biker die in a bike crash, so I did the fundraiser in memory of him which was a small raffle that raised £250 for each charity.

"I think I was lucky when the accident happened because where it happened there wasn’t another way to get home, which meant I just had to jump back on the bike and it was a 20 to 30-minute ride.

Mike AllenMike Allen (Image: Wiltshire Police)

"As I had no choice but to get back on the bike, I knew I was able to get back on and that I would be safe, but it took a while to get my confidence back fully.

“I just wanted to do another one this year as everyone uses the air ambulance when we really need it and supporting Mental Health Motorbike helps bikers to talk about what they are feeling and helps keep them safe on the road. With everything going on at the moment as well after four bikers have died in recent accidents we want to raise as much as we can for those two charities.

“At the moment we’re trying to raise prizes for the raffle and it will be £2 per square. There will be a barbecue and motorbike competitions, where we have a different way of approaching it and instead of just a prize for dirtiest bike for example, the awards will have different names. It’s a chance for everyone to have a laugh and enjoy the sunshine.

“Motorbikes are something I’ve always been interested in and I passed my test in 2019. It’s a really nice community to be a part of."