Fundraisers at a veterinary practice are taking part in an epic voyage to support a charity that brings comfort and companionship through the joy of pets.

Vets, nurses and receptionists at Tameside Veterinary Clinic are running, cycling, walking, swimming or horse riding a cumulative total of 2,630.25 miles until the end of the month.

The distance covers the miles between their four branches and their twin towns in France, as well as York and Oxfordshire.

The team - 40 in total - are raising money for Pets As Therapy, a charity that provides dogs owned by registered volunteers to visit hospitals, hospices, schools, residential care homes and day centres. The visits bring comfort, companionship and therapy to many individuals, who appreciate being able to touch and stroke a friendly animal.

The fundraisers started their virtual journey on July 5 at their Ashton clinic and made their way to their French twin town, Chaumont, moving onto Armentieres, the twin town of their Stalybridge branch, then to Colmar, twinned with their Hyde clinic and then to Villemombles, twinned with Droylsden.

As Tameside Vets is celebrating its 21st anniversary this year, they will also run, walk, cycle, swim or horse ride the distance from their Ashton clinic to Ireland, the birthplace of practice founder and clinical director Diarmuid Currid.

They continue their challenge by clocking up the distance from Ashton to York, the base of VetPartners, the larger veterinary group of which Tameside Vets is a part, and on to Pets As Therapy headquarters in Chalgrove, Oxfordshire, before finishing at their Hyde branch.

They will complete a total of 2,630.25 miles over the two months and the team hopes to raise around £600 through their JustGiving page https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tameside-vets?newPage=True

Clinical director Loren Shearing said: “We’re supporting a fantastic charity that does so much good to help people in communities all over the UK including our own across Greater Manchester.

“Volunteers and their pets bring joy, comfort and companionship to many individuals, who appreciate being able to touch and stroke a friendly animal. Many people benefit from this unique experience and the results are outstanding.

“As well as raising money, we thought it would be a great team event and brings us all together for such a worthy cause. We’re all getting out and about and getting some exercise, which is great for our health and wellbeing.”

Some 21 members of the practice team planned to get together for a four-mile walk at Dovestones Reservoir on Saddleworth Moor with the fundraising finale seeing them walk five miles at Hartshead Pike on August 29.

Read more from the Tameside Reporter

Click here for more of the latest news

Click here to read the latest edition of the paper online

Click here to find out where you can pick up a copy of the paper