Lake District hotel raises £1,382 for Cumbrian kids charity

North Lakes Hotel and Spa spent three days earlier this month cycling the 1,352 miles it takes to reach the northern-most region of Finland, which is known as Santa Claus' homeland.

The fundraiser was organised by staff members Joanne Payne and Emma Blenkinship and saw people contribute 30-minute shifts on the bike en route to Lapland.

The hotel managed to raise an impressive £1,382 for Cash for Kids Cumbria, a charity that supports children and young people affected by poverty, abuse, neglect, life-limiting illness and those who have additional needs.

Joanne Payne and Emma Blenkinship buying the toys for children who need it most this Christmas (Image: Supplied)

Half of the money was spent on toys for children, while the other half was given directly to the charity.

Joanne said: "There were some very sore legs when we were finished, there were some that were cycling for an hour and a half at a time. It was really intense but really fun. We had music going and people cheering us on. 

"We decided to do it for Cash for Kids, because it's the run up to Christmas. Obviously there are a lot of people struggling and we wanted to do something to help."

Joanne and Emma visited B&M to find presents for a wide range of ages, with dolls, toy cars and Lego unsurprisingly proving to be a popular present.

An impressive haul (Image: Supplied)

Joanne was delighted to be able to do something to help struggling families in the build-up to Christmas and paid tribute to the work that Cash for Kids does.

She said: "It's huge. If we can help just one family it would be amazing, but we've managed to help so many. I was so overwhelmed. My heart felt full when we finished because we managed to get so many toys. It meant a lot.

"We were counting the money each day as we went along and by the end, I was absolutely gobsmacked. People were so generous. We had so many people donating, it was incredible and beyond anything we could have imagined to have achieved."