The brewing and pub industry has been quick to support the efforts of Shropshire brewer Edward Wood to raise thousands of pounds for charity.

Edward, MD of the family owned and run Wood Brewery in Wistanstow, South Shropshire, is cycling almost 1,000 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats in May to mark two milestone birthdays – the brewery’s 30th and his own 60th.

In the process he aims to raise at least £6,000 for Midlands Air Ambulance – the charity whose swift airlift two years ago saved the life of his son Jonathan when he suffered a life-threatening head injury in a freak cricketing accident.

Edward said: “I circulated fellow brewers and suppliers to let them know what I was doing, and the response has been fantastic. I’ve already had cheques in from several breweries – Sarah Hughes, Purple Moose, Bathams, Wye Valley, Ludlow, Uley, Severn Valley, Holdens and Burtonbridge – and I’ve got promises of a lot more to follow. We’re past the £2,000 mark already. Thanks to everyone who has stumped up to date.”

To contribute to Edward’s fund-raising, phone him at the brewery on 01588 672523 or email Edward@woodbrewery.co.uk

In addition to the personal effort of cycling, the Wood Brewery Managing Director is inviting pubgoers to contribute in a more relaxed way – by buying a special double birthday brew, Wood’s 30-60 Challenge. The 3.6% ABV bitter will be on free house bars from April. The brewery will donate 10p to the Air Ambulance cause for every pint of 30-60 it sells.

“These are big birthdays for me, so I wanted to do something memorable by raising money for a cause that I know, from close personal experience, is very worthwhile,” said Edward. “I often cycle the two miles from home to the brewery in Wistanstow and back, so I thought it was the right time to take on something more ambitious!”

Edward, who has previously run the London Marathon and taken part in other endurance events, has been training for the John O’Groats adventure since January and is aiming to complete the ride in 12 days, starting on 4 May. He will cycle an average of 95 miles by day, celebrating his 60th birthday on 13 May somewhere in Scotland.

He recently handed over a cheque for £1,000 to Midlands Air Ambulance after brewing Triple A (Air Ambulance Ale) to mark the lifeline service’s 18 years in the air.

The Air Ambulance provides the primary response to counties including the West Midlands, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, dealing with over 3,500 callouts each year. It operates from Tatenhill Airport in Staffordshire, RAF Cosford, near Wolverhampton, and Strensham North Services on the M5. The cost of running and maintaining current level of operations stands at £5.6 million, for which the organisation relies entirely on voluntary donations.