Royal Far West's Ride for Country Kids will see cyclists take to our roads for three big days from Sunday, raising crucial funds to provide vital supports to improve the health and wellbeing of children in rural and remote areas.

Cyclists will start from Parkes early Sunday morning and travel through Manildra, Molong, Trundle, and Eugowra, before finishing in Forbes on Tuesday afternoon.

These towns hold a special place in Royal Far West’s history and future, supported by local branches, and community hubs like the Royal Far West op-shops in Forbes and Trundle.

Western and Far West NSW is where Royal Far West has its deepest impact, offering multidisciplinary developmental, mental health and disability support services for country children up to the age of 12, to help them reach their full potential.

Over the 2025 financial year, Royal Far West assisted 512 children, 302 parents and carers and 496 educators across 29 primary schools and five early childhood centres in the region – delivering services including assessments, therapy, speech pathology, occupational therapy, psychology, and social work.

Forbes' Stuart Thomas is one of those in training for the big event, inspired by his daughter Megan Fitzpatrick who works as a Paediatric Speech Pathologist at Royal Far West.

Now in its 12th year, Ride for Country Kids has raised more than $4.5 million to support country children with developmental and mental health needs.

“There’s a real sense of accomplishment when you ride into a town for Royal Far West," Stuart said.

"There’s a sense of place and belonging, of making a difference to the community. I’m really looking forward to connecting with the schools and people during Ride for Country Kids 2026."

Michael Gibbons, father of five and a local Parkes resident, has seen first-hand the benefits of Royal Far West’s speech pathology services.

Michael first noticed that his son, Finley, needed speech support early on. Finley was meeting his early childhood milestones, except for language and articulation.

“Working in education, you know where your children should roughly be at with their milestones - saying between 50 and 300 words by the age of two. Red flags were starting to show,” Michael said.

“Accessing paediatric support was extremely difficult in Parkes, especially during COVID. There were long waitlists. And when we did manage to see a paediatrician, it was very sporadic.

“Royal Far West was introduced to us through our school. We jumped on board when an availability came up for Finley to see a speech pathologist weekly through telehealth."

Finley was assisted by a Royal Far West speech pathologist for two years, when he was five years old.

“Before seeing a speech pathologist, Finley was frustrated and could become insular – knowing that other people couldn’t understand him,” Michael said.

Fast forward two years, and Finley has gone on to win an inter-town public speaking competition.

“We couldn’t have done it without Royal Far West,” Michael said.

The Ride for Country Kids starts in Parkes – at 7am at Cooke Park Pavilion - on Sunday May 17. All are welcome to cheer on the riders, who will include Forbes local Stuart Thomas.

They'll ride 150km through Manildra and Molong that day before returning to Parkes; then ride 130km via Trundle to Forbes on day two.

On day three, they'll make a 120km ride via Eugowra.

The finale celebration will be held in Victoria Park at 2.30pm on Tuesday, 19 May and the community is encouraged to cheer on the riders as they cross the finish line.

You can find out more or donate online at rideforcountrykids.com.au