SUPPORTERS and staff of a Tyne Valley care home have taken on an epic challenge in order to raise money to support the home during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Team Charlotte Straker Round Britain Exercise Challenge was launched on Monday. Staff, trustees, and volunteers will run, walk, cycle, and play golf in a bid to cover enough miles to go around the entire coastline of Britain and Northern Ireland.

Donations made in support of the challenge will go to the Charlotte Straker Covid Pandemic Isolation Unit Appeal.

The four room isolation unit has been in constant use since the start of the pandemic, with service users staying there to ensure they do not have coronavirus before they mix with other residents.

Charlotte Straker is yet to have any coronavirus infections so far.

Eleven-year-old Ethan Thompson raised £1,243 by climbing the equivalent of Mount Everest on his stairs over summer.

He was invited to "hand over" a special Olympic Baton to Bill and Rosie Cun, who accepted the challenge on behalf of the team.

Chair of the trustees, at Charlotte Straker, Berenice Groves, was full of praise for the team.

She said: "Our intrepid team are hoping to travel 6,155 miles - the equivalent to the distance around the coast of the UK.

"I am blown away by everyone's enthusiasm and dedication to raising money for our Isolation Unit Appeal - which needs £70,000 to ensure it remains operational during the Covid pandemic.

"We will be giving updates from the team, to let everyone know how far they've managed to travel.

"Thank you to everyone who has generously given so far, and we are hoping that this new challenge will inspire more donations, to allow us to keep our unit open."

The team need to cover a distance of 6,155 miles to complete the challenge. Some care staff will be adding the miles they walk at work to the overall tally.

Donations can be made by searching the Charlotte Straker project on uk.virginmoneygiving.com.