Former serviceman Bob Boothroyd is leading a team of cyclists from Land’s End to John O’Groats to raise £5,000 for Help For Heroes.

Mr Boothroyd, 67, is using the 1,000 mile ride to mark his retirement from the MOD welfare department at the Services Cotswold Centre in Neston.

He will be joined on the trip by Kev Archer, 35, a serving staff sergeant at the Services Cotswold Centre and Mike Menzies, 43, a health visitor for Wiltshire Council social services in Corsham.

The challenge in aid of the charity for servicemen and women starts on June 10 and is expected to take ten days.

For the last eight days, four climbers from the Cotswold Centre in Neston will climb a series of Scottish and Welsh mountains that equate to 8850m, the height of Mount Everest.

The climbers are centre commandant in Colerne Andy Owen; retired Lieutenant Colonel John Wyatt, 63, of Studley, Calne, who works in Corsham; community development worker at the Cotswold Centre Anne Robertson, 47; and Nic Karonias, 59, of London.

As the only woman, Anne Robertson, who lives in Katherine Park, Corsham, said: “I can’t let the team down.

“I competed in the three peaks challenge last year with the guys so I know what lies ahead and it’s going to be hard but I’m confident we are going to do it in eight days.”

Her secret to getting up the nine peaks is chocolate and Lucozade.

The Cotswold Centre organises a fundraiser every year and Mr Boothroyd thought it would be a good way to retire after 12 years with the MoD welfare department. He had previously served in Armed Forces for 40 years.

The team has already collected £3,200 and is hoping to bring it up to £5,000 by the end of the challenge.

Mr Wyatt said: “We are keen to raise the money for this charity as it really helps the families of injured soldiers and raises the profile of the military in general.

“We would be very grateful of any donations.”

To donate to the charity, log onto the website www.justgiving.comsccawsh4h