MALVERN Hills chairman Barbara Williams is making the final preparations for her tractor ride from one end of the district to the other on Sunday.

Cllr Williams, will be making the 44-mile trek to raise money for the Midlands Air Ambulance, one of the two charities she is supporting during her year in office.

Her appeal for help has already raised more than £1,300 for the cause, and she hopes residents will turn out to support her on the day and help bring the total up to at least £3,000.

Cllr Williams, aged 64, will be driving a red 1962 Massey Ferguson 35 tractor, accompanied by her partner Neville Jones.

They will set off from the the Hunter's Inn at Buckbury, on the district's southern border with Gloucestershire, at about 10.30am, and are hoping to arrive about five and a half hours later at Tenbury Wells.

She said: “The tractor has been cleaned up and is ready to go and now I am just looking forward to getting out there, meeting as many people as possible and raising as much money as I can for a fantastic cause.

“So if you are in the area come and see me, give me a wave and give what you can to keep the Midlands Air Ambulance flying.”

The itinerary, with approximate times, is: 11am, arrive at Upton, then on to Hanley Castle, Hanley Swan and past the Three Counties Showground; 11.40am, pass through Belle Vue Terrace, Malvern; 11.50am, arrive at the Swan at Newland; 1pm, stop at the Dew Drop Inn, Lower Broadheath; 2pm, arrive at the Crown, Martley; 2.30pm, Arrive at the new Inn at Clifton upon Teme; 3.15pm, arrive at the Tally Ho Inn, Hanley Broadheath, 4pm, cross the finish line at the Fountain Inn, Tenbury Wells.

Michelle McCracken of the air ambulance said: “Each air ambulance mission costs approximately £2,500, so events such as the Chairman’s Charity Tractor Run will not only help us raise awareness of our charity but money raised will help directly fund life saving missions in our area. Without such events, we simply wouldn’t be able to offer our emergency pre-hospital service to the most severely ill and injured people across the Midlands, so we are extremely grateful for the support.”

People can donate by visiting justgiving.com/chairmantractorrun or donate in person on the day.