FINANCIAL planners have completed a mammoth cycling challenge across Portugal’s mountains to raise money for chosen charities.

Andrew Hirst, Jason Lowe, and Dave McKendrick from Equilibrium Financial Planning spent six days cycling from Chaves in the country’s north to Faro in the south, a route that totalled 456 miles, reaching elevations of 960m, in temperatures up to 32 degrees.

The charities chosen by the cyclists were Reuben’s Retreat, which supports families of complexly poorly children and families of child loss, Claire House, a children’s hospice, and My Name’5 Doddie which seeks to help sufferers of motor neurone disease.

Dan Halliday, a fundraiser at Claire House Children’s Hospice, said: “We are extremely grateful to Andrew, Jason, and Dave for undertaking such a gruelling challenge. The money they raised through their pedal power will help us reach more seriously and terminally ill children in the local area, we cannot thank them enough.”

Wirral Globe:

The group managed to raise a final total of £21,000, donating a final total of £7,000 to each charity.