A SPONSORED exercise bike marathon has raised more than £600 for a Christian project in Africa.

Members of Chester-le-Street's Christian Youth Fellowship cycled a total of 540 miles, the land perimeter of Rwanda, on Saturday and Sunday at St Cuthbert's Parish Centre. The money will go towards the work of the Church Mission Society.

Fellowship leader Sonia Baker will go to Rwanda soon to spend a month teaching adults and children about the dangers of HIV.

The church's youth worker Sharon Bradwell said: "It was supposed to take us 36 hours but we completed it much sooner, so we are very pleased."