GLOUCESTERSHIRE firefighters are set to push a hospital bed 160 miles around the county, all in aid of a hospital cancer unit.

The team set on Friday morning from Lydney fire station and will finish at Cheltenham Oncology on Wednesday, September 12.

The great Gloucestershire bed push will be calling in at 21 fire stations over six days to raise money for Cheltenham and Gloucester’s Hospital Charity, which supports the regional oncology cancer care charity Focus.

They will be stopping off at Cirencester and Tetbury fire stations on Monday, September 10, and then at the stations in Wotton, Dursley, Nailsworth and Stroud on Tuesday, September 11.

The bed they will be pushing has been specially customised, with its castors replaced with tougher, road worthy wheels.

Rob Bunting, a station manager with Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, came up with the idea.

"Everybody I know has lost loved ones to cancer - I lost my dad and my nan to it - or has had some personal experience of the disease," he said.

"So I wanted to think of something that would raise a significant amount of money to help.

"I had the crazy idea of pushing a hospital bed around the county, and emailed everyone in the organisation to see if anyone would be interested in taking part.

"I got so many replies - 300 - right back from people saying they wanted to be involved, that it crashed my inbox.

"But that's exactly what I'd expect for Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, it's such a lovely organisation.

"There's a small group of us who'll be doing the whole six days, and then firefighters from each station will join us for the next stage of the journey.

"The thing I'm dreading the most is the 162 miles," he said.

"And what I'm looking forwards to most is meeting all the people on the route around the county and seeing all their smiley faces and feeling our collection buckets getting heavier and heavier!"

Councillor Andrew Gravells, chairman of Gloucestershire County Council, said:

"I'm very proud of what our Fire and Rescue Service are doing here. We all know somebody who has been touched by cancer. As somebody who has received both chemotherapy and radiotherapy at the Cheltenham Centre myself I personally appreciate this challenging and imaginative Fund Raiser.”

Andy Hermiston, acting chief fire officer, Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “There’s a huge amount of excitement building and I am incredibly pleased to see so many staff from across the service volunteering their time to support this really worthwhile cause.

"I would also like to take the opportunity to thank the many businesses from across the county who have pledged their support and would encourage everyone to contribute wherever you can, there’s still time and every little bit counts.”

To make a donation to support the GFRS bed push visit justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/gloucestershire-hospitalscharity/gfrsagainstcancer