A BUSINESSMAN from Lea, near Malmesbury, who cycled 939 miles across six countries with 13 colleagues, has raised £30,000 for the Zurich Community Trust.

The Zurich Insurance colleagues endured the ten-day ride from London to Zurich across all manner of terrain to raise money for the trust, which works with charitable organisations.

Tim Culling, of Old Bakery Close, who is also the chairman of the Zurich Community Trust, decided to support his colleagues in their fundraising efforts from May 18 to May 27.

He said: "I have done a lot of things over the years and I was first involved with the trust, then called the Hambro Life Charitable Trust in 1983, where I met Joel Joffe and at the time he was seen as an inspiring but unusual business leader for setting it up.

"In 2011 I became chairman of the trust and at every one of our board meetings I made sure I thanked the team for their commitment.

"When they were planning this year's it occurred to me that I had never done a full one, so I asked, expecting them to say there were no places left and they said yes."

The 54-year-old joined the core members of the group from IT, who have raised more than £300,000 for the trust over the years.

The chairman said: "All of them have very different back stories and personal motivations to raise money for the trust and are so in tune with the things the trust supports."

The group rode through awful British weather, around the French labour strike tyre fires to reach the welcoming party at the company's headquarters in Zurich where a barbecue awaited.

Mr Culling said: "There was a big welcome group in Zurich and every year we run something called the global community week which started on May 23. So that week, the staff at Zurich were invited to come out to welcome us.

"It was an unbelievable experience and I loved every second of it."

The money raised by the cycling fanatics will be matched pound for pound by the Zurich Community Trust, making the grand total amount raised £60,000, which will be shared among staff's chosen local charities.

To make a donation to the Zurich Community Trust, visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/travelling-tim.