Subzero temperatures failed to stop firewalking fundraisers from hot-footing it for a Cumbrian hospice.

Staff from Scott Duff & Co Solicitors and Carlisle telecommunications firm Online Systems led a group of 18 people in a flaming unusual car park challenge.

Together they helped to raise in the region of £1,000 for the city's Eden Valley Hospice.

The car park of The Museum Inn on Moorhouse Road, in the west of the city, was transformed into a hotbed of heat for the charity challenge.

Careful checks and preparations saw the hot coals reach temperatures of more than 700C.

The 18 fundraisers, supported by dozens of family members and friends, were led by Denton Holme-based Elio Garden, who heads up Fundraising Firewalk Association.

During his training talk in the warmth of the pub minutes before the hot coal challenge, Elio told the nervous would-be firewalkers: "It really is a case of mind over matter."

He also guaranteed them four things if they completed the challenge - a sense of achievement, a big smile on their face, a certificate for successfully hot-footing it over the coals and black feet.

The event was organised by Cheryl Corson, a director of the legal firm Scott Duff & Co, which has branches in Carlisle, Penrith and Keswick.

She said: "Scott Duff & Co signed up to do the Eden Valley Hospice corporate challenge.

"They gave us £50 to start with in November and we've been challenged to turn it into as much as we can for them.

"I did a firewalk a few years ago and I knew I wanted to do something big for this corporate challenge and something that would not only get people to sign up for but for people to come and watch."

Staff at the law firm donated their office Secret Santa money to the cause instead of buying gifts at Christmas as part of their efforts to raise cash for the hospice.

Some of their initial £50 was spent on buying teddy bears for the firm's three offices.

Staff launched "name the bear" competitions, winners of which will be drawn next week.

Cheryl's niece Lauren Hall, of Upperby in Carlisle, was the youngest person to complete the firewalk.

College beauty student Lauren, 16, said: "I want to raise funds for the hospice. I've had an aunt who was cared for there.

"I've done Junior Miss Cumbria before and when I did that I did some fundraising for other charities. I like to support good causes."

Steven Nelson, of Corby Hill near Carlisle, was among the first to walk the coals as air temperatures plunged close to freezing point.

He said: "It was my first time and to be honest I didn't really feel it. The stones on the ground feel far worse."

Natalie Bingham, corporate fundraiser for the hospice, off Blackwell Road, was among those to sign up to the firewalk.

She said: "The corporate challenge is the first time we at the hospice have done anything like it. The team at the Halifax have also signed up to do it.

"We've done it over the last couple of months with both Scott Duff and the Halifax and the idea is to try and roll it out later this year."

Despite early nerves, jubilant participants ended the evening by doing a conga together, holding hands across the hot coals.

Cheryl, from Scott Duff & Co, added: "The hospice is such a well-known and well-loved charity locally that our team is always keen to support it.

"We've had a presentation on how much it costs to run the hospice and its services.

"We know it relies on the generosity and donations it receives to continue to provide its vital services and care."

Each year donations help the Eden Valley Hospice to raise more than £2million towards its £3million annual running costs.

The hospice provides care for adults with life limiting illnesses from north Cumbria.

The hospice has a 12 bed adult in-patient unit.

It also provides a day hospice for up to 15 people a day.