TWO men have completed a mammoth 600km charity cycle challenge across France through some of the country’s worst ever flooding.

Rob Dart and Rob Rainbow cycled from Le Mans to Lyon and raised £2,500 for Ilminster charity Purple Field Productions (PFP).

The ride mainly followed the River Loire valley with the two men completing the gruelling challenge in six days.

On the final day, the two Robs climbed up the 2,000ft high Monts du Lyonnais on the final day before doing the final 15km stretch downhill into Lyon.

The two men drank 24 litres of liquid, ate 30 bananas and travelled at an average speed of 22km per hour throughout their trip.

On day four, the fundraisers emailed the Purple Field office to report on the ride and added that two spare pairs of knees would have been welcome.

The office said: “Sorry we can’t send knees but this little story just sent from Kenya, where PFP’s latest film drama, The Unknown, about the stigma attached to children born with cerebral palsy is being shown, might help you on your way.”

Rob Hartley, press liaison officer at the charity, said: “We have just shown the film to a thousand school boys.

“I was assured afterwards that the boys had really enjoyed and followed it.

“Afterwards, moved by the film, some boys asked Salome, who had introduced the film, how they could form a group to help children with the disability.

“Then, a little later, a teacher approached Salome and asked about treatment for a child she knew.

“It took her several minutes to reveal that it was her own child that had cerebral palsy and Salome recognised the familiar hurdle of shame before acceptance that had to be conquered.

“That weekend the mother went to Nairobi and started receiving treatment for her child.”

Speaking after the cycle, Mr Rainbow said: “I am a trustee of PFP, the Ilminster film-making charity.

“It is extremely difficult raising money for films and we have three major projects which need funding at the moment.

“We have the one film which is being distributed in Kenya about a girl with cerebral palsy.

“In Sierra Leone we are supporting a group who went through the Ebola crisis and lost two members but are still going to create a film about agriculture.

“We have another one being made in Senegal and we have been making films in Malawi for years and showing them with a pedal-powered cinema.

“It is a wonderful charity but a devil to raise money for. A lot of people associate films with entertainment but we have found they are extremely good at informing people.”

For more information about PFP and how to support this charity please visit: www.purplefieldproductions.org.