A CYCLING team from north Cumbria has raised more than £1,000 for a charity.

Teachers and pupils from Beacon Hill Community School embarked on the 7stanes mountain bike trails in southern Scotland to raise money for Brain Tumour Research.

The team, which included two teachers, two support crews and six teenage pupils, completed all seven trails in less than 48 hours, and have so far raised more than £1,000.

Adam Young, head of PE at Beacon Hill Community School, said: “What an amazing achievement by a fantastic bunch of pupils. Hard work and dedication gets results. They’ve worked hard to train for this and they’ve proven what they can do for a great cause.”

The challenge was in memory of Brian Hoadley, a cycling enthusiast who died in October 2016 from a brain tumour. Following his death, Brian’s partner Penni Dymond donated a large volume of cycling kit to the school.

Penni, who lives in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, said: “Brian was a huge cycling enthusiast, a kind and generous man, never happier than when on his bike. His passion for life was infectious, he always saw good in people and brought the best out of them.

"He’d be delighted to know that this small offer has resulted in a group of children embarking on a huge cycling challenge that hopefully will inspire them to continue out of their comfort zones, push hard, laugh with each other and enjoy every moment along the way.”

The school has pledged to continue to support Brain Tumour Research in Brian's name, with the school recently registering for the charity's annual fundraising event, Wear a Hat Day.

This event will take place on March 29, 2019, and will see individuals, schools and companies don their hats to raise vital funds for the charity.

Andrea Pankiw, community fundraising manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “Well done to the team at Beacon Hill Community School for completing their challenge. They have done a wonderful and thoughtful thing in memory of Brian and we are extremely grateful that they chose to support us.

“Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet, historically, just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease. With the support of teachers and pupils at Beacon Hill Community School, we are striving to change this.”