A four hundred legged team of npower staff flexed its foot power during the biggest weekend of charity fundraising in Swindon this year.

Teams took part in two challenging events, Walk Wonders followed by a demanding 24 hour Le Mans-style carting race, all in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.

More than 200 staff from the energy company's Swindon office staged 72 hours of fundraising activities to raise money for Macmillan, and for every pound raised by staff, npower matched the cash pound for pound, doubling the grand total to around £30,000.

This money will help fund Macmillan's work both locally and nationally, providing practical, medical, emotional and financial support to people affected by cancer.

The fundraising weekend kicked off with a mass staff walk out' from their office in Windmill Hill on Friday.

Around 100 staff switched off their computers, laced up their trainers and headed to Lydiard Park.

On Saturday npower moved the fundraising up a gear with 11 teams putting their feet to the floor in a 24 hour Pedal Cart Challenge to raise £15,000 for Macmillan.

Despite the lack of sleep, enthusiastic staff took part in the gruelling Le Mans-style chase around a third of a mile track, which looped around the company's office.

The organisers of this year's Pedal Cart Challenge are committed Macmillan supporters.

Over the past two years, the team has been involved in a variety of endurance testing challenges to raise funds for Macmillan. So far the team has raised almost £40,000 for Macmillan.

Lee Buchanan, Windows messaging specialist at npower, who organised this year's Pedal Cart Challenge and has been involved in Macmillan fundraising for two years, said: "We knew it would be a massive physical challenge but the team and I were absolutely thrilled at the determination and drive of all the pedal cart teams as they ploughed on into the dead of night.

"The effort the teams put in to supporting Macmillan is well worth it."

Judy Beard, director of fundraising, communications and marketing at Macmillan, added: "Over the years our partnership with npower has enabled Macmillan to make massive headway in its work supporting people living with cancer, we have been able to accomplish things that would never have been possible to achieve alone."

This is another very useful boost for the charity.

In March the Swindon Advertiser-backed Swindon Cancer Appeal, raising money for Macmillan Cancer Relief, reached its £1m target figure.