MORE than 100 employees at Delphi Diesel Systems in Stonehouse cycled 21 miles to raise money for charity on Friday.

Staff took the afternoon off work to complete the sponsored bike ride in aid of Sue Ryder.

Workers based at Delphi’s premises at the Stroudwater Business Park are aiming to raise £5,000 for the charity’s Leckhampton Court Hospice.

They are already more than half way towards that goal, having raised £3,000 from a previous sponsored bike ride, which saw 27 members of staff finish a 400 mile trip to a Delphi plant in France earlier this month.

It is hoped that funds from Friday’s ride and from a host of other activities will now help the company reach its overall target.

This week Delphi staff will compete in a welly wanging contest, a bowling competition and a football tournament to raise extra cash for the hospice.

The company decided to choose Sue Ryder as its charity of the year because a staff member, Tony Wright, received respite care at the Leckhampton Court Hospice in his final days.

Kathy Beckerleg, HR manager at Delphi, said: "It is an honour to support Sue Ryder in this way and remember Tony who was a much valued and well loved member of our team.

"We hope that the fundraising done during the week will help Leckhampton Court continue to provide such an excellent service."

James Clay, a corporate fundraiser for Sue Ryder, said: "The £5,000 amount they are raising will cover the cost of running our 16 in-patient beds for two days.

"As an organisation we need to fundraise £1.7 million a year so corporate support like Delphi’s is absolutely crucial for us."