Firefighters take up charity bike ride challenge

Firefighters from Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service who are taking part in the Charity Bike Ride from Lands End to John O'Groats

In just seven weeks time nine firefighters from Shropshire will be cycling the famous Lands' End to John O'Groats route in support of the Fire Services National Benevolent Fund, Hope House Children's Hospice and the local Macmillan Cancer Relief.

They will begin their 1000-mile journey from Lands End on Friday 5th May 2006, taking a route through Shropshire and aiming to arrive in the Scottish Highlands of John O'Groats on Monday 15th May. The men who are all full time firefighters have to fit in a gruelling training schedule around their shifts in preparation for the event.

Cycling the route will be Firefighters' Ken Holder, Graham Oliver, Kris Mullins, Dickey Brazier, Phil Davies, Ian Gunstone, Neil Wilson, Kev Rogers and Barry Lucas with a reserve list of a further 3 riders.

Firefighter Ken Holder said "Everybody has been training really hard through the cold winter months and we are getting to a point where we will have to start toning things down and resting up so as not to peak too quickly. All the organization is going well with only 7 weeks until the big departarture from Lands End."

The Firefighters' will be promoting the event in the Charles Darwin Centre, Shrewsbury on Saturday 25th March where they will be holding a collection for the three charities on the ground floor level adjacent to TK Maxx.

The team would also like to express their big thanks to Furrows of Shrewsbury who have kindly offered a support vehicle for the event, Firefighter Arron Holloway who has volunteered his services as support vehicle driver and to all the other companies who have already donated prizes for the forthcoming Charity Auction Night which will take place on 20 April 2006 at the Lion Hotel, Shrewsbury.

16th March, 2006