Firefighters cycle 3,300 miles and raise £7,000

FIREFIGHTERS from Warrington have raised more than £7,000 for charity by completing an exhausting 10-day challenge.
The wholetime and on-call crews at Penketh Fire Station set themselves the daunting task of cycling over 3,300 miles between Monday July 6 and Thursday July 16 – which equates to the length of the UK coastline.
Pedal power and determination of the fundraising firefighters saw them complete the mammoth distance on schedule.
On-call firefighter Andy Humphreys completed the final stretch at 8am yesterday and the crews are delighted to have raised much needed funds for The Fire Fighters Charity.
Watch manager Paul Aney said: “We devised the fundraising challenge and set up a JustGiving page for it in a bid to raise as much money as possible for the charity.
“Our chosen charity is the UK’s leading provider of services that enhance the quality of life for serving and retired fire service personnel and their families.
“The charity relies on donations and fundraising for the essential respite, recuperation and rehabilitation that it provides for sick and injured firefighters and their families.
“The coronavirus pandemic has caused a massive reduction in the level of funding The Fire Fighters Charity has received this year and everyone at Penketh Fire Station is thrilled that we have managed to complete the exhausting challenge and raise more than £7,000 for the charity.
“Our original target was to amass £2,000.”
The firefighters passed the endurance test without leaving their fire station on Widnes Road.
Cycling on an exercise bike that records the virtual distance travelled, they took it in turns to clock up the necessary miles.
Station manager Neil Winstanley said: “The bike was used non-stop for 10 days and nights in what was a tremendous effort by the team here at Penketh.
“By the end of the fundraiser it’s fair to say that our firefighters all hate the sight of that bike.
“It was an extremely tiring challenge but no-one gave in.
“They all completed their allotted miles and it was fantastic to see everyone giving their all for what is such a worthy cause.
“The firefighters gave each other plenty of encouragement whilst they were clocking up the miles and I can’t praise them enough for completing the challenge and for coming up with the concept in the first place.”
The fundraiser was organised as part of The Fire Fighters Charity’s Fire Family Challenge initiative.
You can still make a donation at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/penketh-fire.
To see a video of the firefighters clocking up the required miles visit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wY4rQjXfF-U