A GROUP of hospital employees are all set to paddle, plod and peddle across Worcestershire’s countryside in aid of a county hospice.

The ten-strong team from Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust will be taking on a 45-mile paddling, walking and cycling challenge in aid of St Richard’s Hospice tomorrow, Saturday.

The crew, who have dubbed themselves The Sky Warriors, will set off from Pershore bright and early at 6am, paddling 15 miles to Tewkesbury, before walking another 15 miles to Kempsey and cycling another 15 miles back to Pershore.

Worcester News columnist and chaplain at Worcestershire Royal Hospital Rev David Southall is taking part in the challenge and said he was looking forward to it.

“We have close connections to St Richard’s and this is a great way to do something for our wider community,” he said.

“We have already raised £1,600 by the hard work of the team members and the generosity of colleagues and friends.

“We are all quite nervous as some of us haven’t done anything like this before.

“We have had practice sessions in the boat and, apart from zig-zagging quite a lot, we got the hang of it and had a great laugh.

“We will definitely succeed although it will be a lot of hard work.”

He added they hoped to arrive back at Pershore Football Club in King George’s Way at 6pm and hoped supporters would turn out to cheer them home.

The acute trust’s chairman Harry Turner applauded the team for taking on the gruelling challenge.

“This is just the type of endeavour that we should be part of and shows the calibre and commitment of our staff,” he said. “Not only do they give all they can to the hospital, they also want to contribute to the life of the communities in which they work.

“I am proud of the staff and will be there supporting them all the way.”

To sponsor the team visit http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/TACO.

St Richard’s Hospice provides free specialist palliative care and support for more than 2,600 patients living with life-threatening illnesses and their families every year. The charity runs a day hospice as well as a 24-hour, 17-bed inpatient unit in Wildwood Drive, Worcester.

For more information call 01905 763963 or visit www.strichards.org.uk.