An adventurous pair of friends from Otley are preparing to 'chase the sun' for charity.

Chris Tomlinson and Andrew Simpson will be raising money for the NSPCC by mountain biking, hill climbing and canoeing in the Lake District next month.

The Chasing the Sun challenge involves completing all the tasks in one action-packed day, with the participants setting off at dawn and aiming to finish before sunset.

Computer engineer Andrew and Chris, a studio manager at Jet2.com, have entered as a team and are already well into their training.

Chris, 34, said: "We saw this challenge and the variety it offered immediately appealed to us.

"I am a keen cyclist and try to keep fit on my daily cycle to work in Leeds from Otley, but I also like to try other sports too and Chasing the Sun will enable me to focus on honing skills in canoeing and hiking."

Andrew, also 34, added: "Signing up for this just after Christmas was a real target to aim for and I was also hoping to shift a few extra Christmas pounds.

"I would also like to push my fitness to the next level. Not only will this be a great challenge for the both of us as a team but we are raising money for a great charity.

"I’m sure this will be the first of many challenges to come."

The two men are hoping to reach targets of £300 each in sponsorship for the children's charity.

The April 26 challenge includes an off-road bike ride of about 25 miles around Derwentwater, a six-mile trek up and down Haystacks, and a two to three mile canoe on the lake.

The pair's rigorous training regime includes daily cycles and commutes to work along with hard hours on a rowing machine.

On Saturday, March 29 they will be aiming to boost their fundraising efforts by holding a fun 'pig racing' event, featuring pulled pork sandwiches, at Otley's Yew Tree Inn, on Newall Carr Road.

Tickets cost £5 and are available from the bar. Chris and Andrew are also holding a raffle on the night and would like to hear from any local businesses interested in donating a prize - they can contact Chris by sending an e-mail to tomlinsonchristopher@hotmail.com . Their challenge itself can be sponsored, meanwhile, at www.justgiving.com/chasethesun .

Fifty people are taking part in April's Chasing the Sun which the NSPCC hopes will raise £15,000. Fundraising manager for West Yorkshire, Elaine Kaye, said: "I would like to thank Chris and Andrew for taking part and fundraising for us.

"We really couldn’t continue helping vulnerable children and young people throughout the UK without the support of people like them.”