FUNERAL director Keith Rawlings is spearheading a Coast to Coast cycle challenge to boost the funds of a local scout troop.

The 54-year-old keen cyclist will lead a party of 13 tackling the 134-mile trans-Pennine route over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Mr Rawlings, who works for the Co-op Funeral Service in Chester-le-Street, keeps fit by cycling, in part along a stretch of the Coast to Coast cycle route near his home.

As treasurer of the 1st Herrington Scout Group he is often looking at ways of raising much-needed funds to equip the troop and allow members the chance to go on camp expeditions.

He will be accompanied by five friends and seven young adventurers from the troop on the C2C challenge.

They will be heading to Whitehaven on the Cumbrian coast for the start, on Saturday, August 28, hoping to reach Roker Marina in Sunderland, at the end of the 134-mile ride, on the following Monday.

"We're hoping to cover between 50-and-60 miles a day, which means we should have most of it done in the first couple of days, so we can, hopefully, have a nice run in to Sunderland on the Monday," Mr Rawlings said.

He hopes the event will raise £5,000 towards new equipment for troop, including new tents and other camping kit. Longer term they would like to raise enough to buy new canoes and even the troop's own minibus.

"For the past few years we've been raising money to bring our headquarters up to standard, but we now need to get the money together to improve the equipment."

Mr Rawlings' previous fund raising exploits include completing the Three Peaks challenge in 24-hours and the annual Boxing Day North Sea Dip.