Sporting staff at the Cheltenham branch of Nationwide Building Society are gearing up for a fundraising 151 miles cycle machine ride on Friday 28 July.

With sponsorship the team hope to raise funds for the Cheltenham medical charity Cobalt to buy a new high definition MRI scanner.

The virtual route represents the distance the charity's six mobile scanners travel from its imaging centre in Cheltenham to its most northerly site in Preston.

The team have set themselves a demanding £10,000 target between now and October and plan to take part in challenge events as well as volunteer for the charity.

Polly McDaid, customer service manager, Nationwide said: "We have invited local MP Alex Chalk and Cobalt CEO Peter Sharpe to take part. We chose to help Cobalt buy a new MRI scanner for the Imaging Centre in Cheltenham as many of us have experienced the impacts of cancer through friends or family."

The new MRI scanner will have all the latest software to ensure the charity can continue to offer the very best high definition specialist images for clinical and research patients now and well into the future.

Julia Jenkins, Head of Fundraising, Cobalt said 'The team have already raised over £2000 for us which is fantastic. They have been full of ideas and enthusiasm and have further fundraising ideas up their sleeve including battle of the banks and drench the bank manager'.

To support the Cheltenham team go to Nationwide or text WIDE05 with your donation amount to 70070.

To find out more about Cobalt and the work they do go to www.cobalthealth.co.uk.

Pictured: Left, Polly McDaid, customer service manager and Leanne Dalby senior branch manager