A group of men from Preston who took on a coast to coast cycling challenge have raised over £10,000 for the Baby Beat Appeal.

The self-confessed “fat middle-aged blokes” were led by Clarke Steele, who has supported the charity since the loss of his and his wife’s baby in 2006.

Clarke has regularly raised funds for the cause but wanted to take on an even bigger challenge, so chose the 200 mile cycle from Morecambe to Bridlington.

Clarke said: “Michelle and I sadly lost our baby, Louis, in 2006 and while this was a deeply upsetting time Baby Beat gave us both a lot of comfort.

“Having already done a few fundraising efforts, I wanted to challenge myself and raise a few quid at the same time. I have friends who would be able to do this challenge before breakfast, but the team and I who did it are just fat middle-aged blokes.”

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Clarke’s friends Jason Lynch, Dave Hewitson, Lee Whitehead, Mark Woan, Darren Lynch, Mick Scott, John Coffey, Colin Hughes and Ian Grant joined him on the challenge. Natalie Coffey drove the support vehicle for the team.

Each member of the group had experienced support from the Baby Beat Appeal in some way so were all determined to complete the three-day cycle challenge.

Ian said: “None of us had been cyclists before taking on this challenge so we have invested a lot of time and effort. We thoroughly enjoyed it despite how tough it was and we would like to challenge ourselves to do an even tougher one next time!”

The team aimed to raise £5,000 to go towards a new bereavement centre for the Baby Beat Appeal but were able to raise over £10,000 for the cause.

Paula Wilson, Head of Fundraising at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, said: “We are extremely grateful to Clarke, Ian and the whole team for their generosity and commitment, and for supporting our Baby Beat Appeal.

“The money raised will make a huge difference to others facing a similar journey.”

Donations can still be made to Clarke’s JustGiving page.

Read more: News from local charities

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