TWO colleagues are taking on a 950-mile cycling challenge from Land’s End to John O’Groats to raise vital funds for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

Cycling the length of the country, Mark Finch and Martyn Goldsborough will be setting off on their adventure on September 10, and are hoping to complete the challenge in 12 days.

The pair, who both work at the UK Hydrographic Office in Taunton, will have to carry everything with them on their journey.

Mark is cycling in honour of his grandad Mervyn Canniford, who lived in Chard, and died in 1999.

Mervyn lived with Alzheimer’s disease for more than a year.

Mark, who works as a software developer, said: “My grandad was a real family man, always there for his five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

“He was such a nice man and it was so hard to see him towards the end when he didn’t appear as himself.

“He spent the last six months in a nursing home and would have good days and bad days.

“It was especially hard on my mum and her sisters.

“Everyone knew him in Chard where he lived, he had a lot of friends.”

Completing this epic cycle ride has been on Mark’s wish list for a long time.

He added: “I always mountain-biked as a boy, but I took up road cycling four years ago and I’ve been hooked since. This challenge is a lifelong goal of mine, and I wanted to do it for a good cause.

“I always wanted to do something in memory of my grandad, and I thought what better way than through raising money for Alzheimer’s Research UK.”

Martyn, a dad-of-two who lives in Exeter, is an IT security officer at the organisation and has been cycling for the past eight years in his spare time.

He said: “Completing an ‘end-to-end’ ride is something I hoped to achieve ever since I started cycling.

“With Mark wanting to ride in memory of his grandad we were given the ideal opportunity to realise this goal and raise money for an excellent charity.”

The pair hopes to raise £1,500.

Hannah Reynolds, community and sporting events officer for Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Mark and Martyn are an inspirational pair who have done everything they can to champion Alzheimer’s Research UK.

“We are so grateful that they have taken up this cycling challenge for us and we wish them the best of luck.”

To donate, go to https://www.justgiving.com/Mark-Finch9 and to keep up with their progress during their ride follow their Twitter account on https://twitter.com/JOGLE4ARUK.