WORK colleagues at a Crewe firm are donning their running boots tomorrow to complete a South Cheshire marathon circuit to raise funds for a local hospice.

The six-man team all work at ice cream van manufacturers Whitby Morrison and are following a 26.2 mile circuit which has been carefully measured out from their factory on the Crewe Gates Industrial Estate to take in Nantwich, Sandbach and Haslington.

For some of the team the event may be more of a jaunt than a run, but everyone is determined to finish the route as it coincides with the staging of the 2020 Virtual London Marathon.

Normally, Whitby Morrison hosts an annual trade event for the ice cream industry which attracts around 500 visitors with the aim of raising money for charity.

Covid-19 saw this year's event cancelled, but the team have been fundraising in a different way and hope to raise a combined total of up to £8,000 from the marathon as well as an online auction and a raffle which is to be held later this month.

The money will go to the St. Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice which is close to the hearts of the Whitby family as it is where Whitby Morrison founder, Bryan Whitby, received care.

So far nearly £3,000 has been pledged via Just.Giving and Whitby Morrison Operations Director Ed Whitby says there has been a great response.

"We wanted to get up to £1,000 but with the other fundraising we are doing we hope to get between £7,000 and £8,000," said Ed.

"Our trade event's main focus is to raise money for St. Luke's so when it was cancelled we thought to ourselves what else could we do."

If you would like to help the team at Whitby Morrison you can pledge through Just.Giving here.