TWO Wirral teachers are preparing to chase the sun in the hope of raising vital funds for a leading children’s charity.

Jinny Morgan Lewtas and Paula Hartharn-Evans, from Bebington, are taking on the “Chasing the Sun” challenge to help raise funds for the NSPCC.

The duo will be packing their bike helmets, paddles and hiking boots and heading to the Lake District to take on the multi activity sponsored challenge, which involves a bike, hike and canoe on April 26.

The challenge starts at the crack of dawn and will include off-road mountain biking 25 miles around the famous lake of Derwentwater, a six mile trek up and back down Haystacks and a two to three mile canoe on Derwentwater - all before sunset.

“We saw this challenge and the variety it offered immediately appealed to us,” said 49-year-old Jinny, who works as a special needs teacher at Stanley School in Pensby.

“Both in our forties, we decided at the end of last year that we wanted to take on a challenge with a difference – and as we both work in primary education, raising money to support vulnerable children was a fantastic reason to support the event.

Forty-five-year-old Paula – a teaching assistant at St Andrew’s Primary School in Bebington - added: “It’s for a great cause, is in a fantastic part of the country and takes place in the school holidays.

“As we both work with children we are also very aware of the work the NSPCC and in particular the importance of ChildLine and wanted to do something to support a great cause.”

With less than ten weeks to go, the pair – who each hope to raise £300 – have already started a vigorous training regime which includes running, playing badminton, cycling and hiking.

Jinny said:: “We both have dogs so they’re certainly going to benefit from all this training and on top of this, our jobs keep us pretty fit too.

“We both admit that the biggest part of the challenge has to be the cycling as the Wirral isn’t best known for its hills so we’re building up mileage at the moment with a view to including a few hills as the weeks go on.”

More than 50 people are expected to take part in the challenge and the NSPCC hopes it will raise £15,000 in sponsorship for its services for children and young people.

Helen Gazzola, NSPCC fundraising manager for Merseyside said: “I would like to thank Jinny and Paula for taking part in ‘Chasing the Sun’ and fundraising for the NSPCC.

“We really couldn’t continue helping vulnerable children and young people throughout the UK without the support of people like them.”

To help Jinny and Paula reach their target you can sponsor them at justgiving.com/Paula-Hartharn-Evans2