TEACHERS from Pinewood School braved the unpredictable summer weather to cycle the entire length of the Ridgeway in aid of Prospect Hospice and have finally handed over the cheque for more than £6,000.

In August a team of four set out to raise funds for the hospice after they cared for Isabel Downe during her battle with bowel cancer.

Isabel was the wife of one of the team, Sam, and has also left behind 20-month-old son, Arthur.

The team surpassed expectations by smashing their target and raising a huge £6,715 for the hospice, which they presented last week.

Arabella Parr, head of marketing at Pinewood School in Shrivenham, said: “On August 26 Sam Downe, Colin Acheson-Gray, Andrew Caird and Chris King set out to cycle the length of the Ridgeway, all 72 miles of it.

“The weather on the day was poor but months of training paid off. Much of the Ridgeway is off road and so the journey was not straightforward.

“The teachers from Pinewood School, near Shrivenham, raised a staggering £6,715 for Prospect Hospice – twice the target that they had initially set out to raise.

“Prospect Hospice cared for Isabel, Sam’s wife, during her battle with bowel cancer.”