A CYCLIST who pedalled the length of the country in tribute to a teenage car crash victim has seen his fundraising effort come to life.

Children at Rush Common School in Abingdon can enjoy a new sensory garden thanks to Chris Wilmshurst, who raised £20,000 for the project through a mammoth cycling mission.

Mr Wilmshurst, chair of the school's board of directors, said: "I was delighted to see the garden finally finished, but know that it would not have happened without the love and support of family and friends."

In August he cycled from the country's tip to its toe, from John O’ Groats in Scotland to Lands End in Cornwall.

The 1000 mile journey, which took 11 days, was a tribute to his friend's late son Dale Paterson.

Dale, who lived in Abingdon, died in a car crash whilst on holiday in Italy at the age of 13.

Mr Wilmshurst joined Dale's dad Bob Paterson for the cycle to mark exactly 10 years since the teenager's life support machine was switched off.

Mr Paterson, who has tackled the gruelling route several times, raised more than £5000 for Kingfisher special needs school in Abingdon where his son Jack is a pupil.

His bike-riding buddy has since achieved his own fundraising goal of seeing the sensory garden built, where pupils can sit in a quiet reading area, play with musical instruments and visit a wormery.

Headteacher Laura Youngman said: “The sensory garden is a wonderful facility that all of our school community will benefit from. It has already made a huge difference to the quality of our outdoor area and will have a substantial impact on children’s learning and enjoyment.

"As a school community, we are incredibly grateful to Chris for enabling us to invest in such an amazing resource. His kindness and hard work is very much appreciated by everyone in the school.”

She said friends and supporters of the school cheered on Mr Wilmshurst as he passed through Abingdon during the bike ride.

He reunited with those friendly faces on Wednesday, where he cut a golden ribbon and welcomed the garden's first excitable visitors.

It is hoped the specially designed outdoor area - which was also part-funded by parents, friends and grant charity the Pye Foundation - will stimulate the children's senses using plants and activity areas, engaging their sense of sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound.

In a post on Rush Common's website, Mr Wilmshurst described the school as "an important part of (his) life" where his three children were educated and his late wife was clerk to the governors.

After the Easter holidays, Mrs Youngman said the school will bury a time capsule in the garden containing information about the staff, directors and pupils.

She added: "It is hoped that pupils in 100 years will discover the capsule and learn a little bit about school life at Rush Common in 2016."