CUMBRIA'S life-saving BEEP doctors are taking to the road again - but this time it is on bicycles.

A team of the doctors and friends will complete a 260-mile journey around Cumbia for the second year in a row.

On Friday, July 29 the team will set off from Penrith and cycle over four days, arriving back at BEEP Headquarters on Tuesday, August 3. 

In 2021 six cyclists raised over £2,000 for the BEEP Doctors charity, but with sponsorship from The Lakes Free Range Egg Co Ltd in 2022, the team hopes to smash that total.

The challenge is part of a fundraising push from the charity to buy four new vehicles for the doctors.

A roadshow, which started last month, is also visiting different areas throughout the summer, supporting the cyclists and ending up at the Cockermouth Show on July 30.

The cyclists are hoping to rally support along the way.

Ironically, in a statement about the challenge, BEEP chairman Dr Theo Weston said:  “Last year really was a challenge for all of us who took on the cycle ride. Not only did we have to ride 260 miles, but the heat was unbearable, so we’re hoping for cooler temperatures this time around."

In 2021, the BEEP Doctors team raised over £145,000 for essential life-saving equipment for the charity.

This year their target is to raise £250,000 to ensure the future sustainability of the charity and raise funds for four new emergency vehicles.

BEEP Doctors began in 1994 with three doctors. Now there are 11  who cover the whole of Cumbria which has added substantially to the cost of training and equipment.

Working closely with the Ambulance Service and Great North Air Ambulance, the BEEP doctors provide specialist emergency pre-hospital care and intervention.

That could be on the roadside at the scene of a road traffic accident or during a life-threatening emergency. The doctors are all unpaid, on call 24/7 and are not funded by the NHS so donations, fundraising events and grants keep the charity going and to buy the vital equipment they need.