By Clare Kinrade

Last updated at 13:04, Thursday, 02 August 2012

Apprentices and staff from Gen II and Sellafield Ltd have taken on the ultimate cycling challenge in a bid to raise money for charity.

Lee Dixon and Ben Ismay are cheered on by Workington Mayor Andrew Lawson

The task was launched at Energus in Lillyhall and will run until Friday morning.

It sees around 150 staff and apprentices join forces cycling on static bikes racking up the equivalent of 873 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats.

Sponsoring the participants, the challenge will raise money for the Pride of Cumbria, the Great North Air Ambulance Service.

Riding from 8am to 8pm in slots of 10 minutes upwards, the enthusiasts were ahead of schedule yesterday with 270 miles completed and had even suggested riding the equivalent in miles from John O’Groats to Cumbria on top of the mammoth task.

Nuclear apprentices Ben Ismay, 19, of Cumberland Street, Workington and Lee Dixon, also 19, of Kelsick Park, Seaton, took part in the challenge.

Mr Ismay said: “The cycle challenge was something the apprentices wanted to do to raise money for a local charity. With so much excitement around the Olympics we thought a cycling task would be a great way to get everyone involved.”

Mr Dixon added: “The majority of apprentices and staff have got on board as we were all keen to raise money for a charity that covers the whole county.”

Workington mayor Andrew Lawson and Mayor of Copeland George Beveridge also took on the cycle challenge.

First published at 11:26, Thursday, 02 August 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk