Team mates from wine company Octavian are training hard for the White Horse Challenge.

The annual event, sponsored by the Gazette & Herald and sister paper the Wiltshire Times, is on July 6 and 7 and is in aid of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

Ten staff from Octavian, based in Gastard near Corsham, are taking part for the first time.

It was the idea of Mark Greenaway, the firm’s surface operations manager, who had just completed a 64-mile charity walk from Poole to Chippenham. He said: “I got the bug for sponsored walks after that and I thought it would be a good idea to do a team event.

“Wiltshire Air Ambulance is fantastic. It’s probably overlooked by some people because there are a lot of charities “Probably a lot of people think it is funded by the Government but it isn’t and it needs all the funding it can get. To give up one weekend a year to raise money for it is the least we can do.”

Eight employees, including Mr Greenaway, are taking on the full challenge of 55 miles over both days while two will complete one of the days, comprising 29 miles. Mr Greenway said his colleagues include novices and experienced walkers and they had been walking every weekend to prepare. Their initial target was £1,000 but they now hope to raise £2,000.

The event also has a seven-mile family challenge on July 7 from the Cherhill White Horse to Devizes.

For more information about the event, call co-organisers Monahans on (01225) 785520 or visit www.whitehorsechallenge.

co.uk