A PAIR from a homeware store in Cirencester peddled 98 miles across the Cotswolds to raise cash for a hospice for people with life limiting illnesses.


On Saturday, Mark Stephenson and Andy Stockwell, who work at Gardiner Haskins Homecentre, took just over eight hours to cycle from their store to Longfield hospice in Minchinhampton, along with their friends Andy Gallagher,Chris Cashell, and Farook Mota and visited each of its charity shops along the way.


Mark, who works at the electrical and bathroom department at the store, said: "It was a natural choice to do it for them particularly being a local organisation.


“It went very well. We were lucky with the weather it started nice and dry. It was very hot and humid and we got a very good reception from the Longfield shops. Most of them laid on drinks and food for us.


“We did 18 hundred metres of climbs.The toughest bit was on the A46 between Cheltenham and Painswick plus the climb coming out of Wotton-Under-Edge.”


Mark added that he would like to thank Julia Mandell from the charity for helping organise the cycle and training sessions for it held outside their Gardiner Haskins Homecentre store.


If you would like to sponsor the group's cycle visit the www.justgiving.com/gardinerhaskinsstaffappeal website.