A charity which helped a Whitchurch man get on his bike for work has received a huge funding boost.

Shropshire Rural Communities Charity (Shropshire RCC) has been awarded the top grant of £25,000 following the Masonic Charitable Foundation Awards campaign this summer.

The group was one of four charities to be nominated by Freemasons in Shropshire, and focused on its Wheels2Work scheme, and how it would use the money raised to support it.

Wheels2Work supports people in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin who need transport assistance (moped or electric bike) to access work or work-based training.

Edward Thornton, 32, from Whitchurch, contacted Wheels2Work after starting work at Culina earlier this year and needed help when his co-worker and transport resigned.

Within a month he had passed his provisional test and had the loan of a 125cc moped leading to Culina offering him a permanent contract.

He said: “I’m now saving to pay to take my full test and ultimately to buy my own moped.

“I love my moped, it’s affordability and the flexibility it gives me on my commute. If it wasn’t for Wheels2Work, I wouldn’t be in the position I am in now: having job security and a reliable income to provide for my family thanks to the permanent contract that came following my loan of the moped through the scheme.”

Julia Baron, chief executive of Shropshire RCC, added: “The grant of £25,000 is hugely important and will make a big difference to the number of people we can support on the scheme. We are very grateful to all of our friends and supporters who took the time to vote for us.”