CYCLISTS have raised £1,800 for St Gemma’s Hospice with a 150-mile ride across the width of the country.

The technical team at Barratt Developments Yorkshire West pedalled from Whitehaven on the west coast of England, to Tynemouth on the east.

The company’s technical director Dave Hudson was taking part alongside fellow members of the technical team, including Andy Croft and Tom Pardey, both from Yeadon. Also taking part were Graham Rhodes, from Micklefield, Martin Brown, from Colton, Richard Colley, from York, Gavin Wilkinson, from Harrogate, and Steve Corcoran, from Farsley.

The cyclists were raising money for Leeds-based St Gemma’s, which provides care and improves quality of life for people with cancer and other terminal and life-threatening illnesses.

The ride saw the team face 12,000 feet of climbing across the Lake District and North Pennines, battling difficult weather conditions to reach their destination in 11 hours.

In 2015 Dave, from Sheffield, cycled more than 300 miles from London to Paris, to help raise £40,000 for the Endeavour charity as part of a 45-strong peloton. In 2016 he travelled the length of the UK to raise £1,500 for St Gemma’s.

He said: “St Gemma’s Hospice is such a worthy charity that we at Barratt Yorkshire West continue to support and I am very pleased to again be involved in a cycle ride that has raised money for them, with a total so far of over £1,800. We followed the tradition of dipping the rear wheel in the sea at Whitehaven, with the front wheel in the sea at Tynemouth. It was always going to be a difficult ride, but the 40mph head-wind and driving rain only added to the fun of the ride. The sun even shone down on us on the last half of the day, powering us through.”

Laura Ferris, corporate fundraiser at the hospice, said: “Barratt Developments Yorkshire West has been supporting St Gemma’s Hospice for ten years and we are continuously grateful for all of their hard work and help. We would like to thank Dave for yet again getting into the saddle, and with the help of the rest of the technical team, raising a fantastic amount for us, which will prove extremely valuable in helping us provide expert medical and emotional support to those in need, and their families.”

St Gemma’s is Yorkshire’s largest hospice and is one of the largest in the UK. It cares for patients from across Leeds and the surrounding area with its 32-bed unit, community team, day hospice and out-patient department.