Employees at family brewery Charles Wells have raised £29,000 for two charities by cycling from Bedford to Paris with the support of Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions.

The 2015 route saw 20 volunteers from the business cycle from the Charles Wells-managed d'Parys hotel and restaurant on De Parys Avenue in Bedford, to The Bombardier pub in Paris, France, also owned by the UK family brewery, over a four-day period.

Each member of the team cycled around 90 miles a day to reach the  targets. Combined, the 20-strong team cycled a distance of more than 6,000 miles.

To support the effort, Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions loaned a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Luton Van, equipped with tail lift, to carry refreshments, food and water, as well as the team luggage between overnight halts.

The challenge aimed to raise £20,000 for two charities, Macmillan Cancer Support‎ and local charity Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice.

Peter Wells, managing director of Charles Wells UK Pubs, and one of the participating cyclists, said; “Macmillan and Sue Ryder are very important to us, so we wanted to make considerable donations to both.

"It was an ambitious target, but the hard work of the team and support from suppliers like Hitachi Capital resulted in a fantastic achievement; cycling through two countries to raise five-figure sums for two great causes."