Staff from NMBS have successfully completed a charity bike ride with a difference and raised over £300 for a number of worthy causes.

Dubbed the NMBS Le Jog Challenge, the ride saw team members from across the UK's largest buying society for independent builders', timber, plumbing and heating, and hardware merchants aiming to cycle a minimum of 837 miles on an exercise bike located at NMBS' head offices in Leicester.

This equates to the same distance as riding from Land's End to John O'Groats and gave the challenge its name.

Some 24 volunteers took part including managing director, Chris Hayward and finance director, Julie Langford. The volunteer riders each took turns in the saddle during their lunch breaks as well as before and after work.

All of the riders were sponsored by friends, family and colleagues.

By the end of the challenge, the NMBS team surpassed their 837 mile target and racked up additional miles as each member of team tried to get a personal milestone of 20 miles.

NMBS has donated the monies raised by the Le Jog challenge to a number of charities. This includes CRASH, Cancer Research UK, Brain Tumour Research, Alzheimer's Research and Diabetes UK.

The buying society wanted the ultimate recipients of the funds raised to include one industry charity and a selection of other charities with particular significance to members of its team.

NMBS members and suppliers who would like to support the NMBS Le Jog Challenge can still do so by visiting http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=NMBSLeJogChallenge&isTeam=true

Chris Hayward, managing director at NMBS, said: "The NMBS Le Jog Challenge was a great team building exercise and an enjoyable way of raising money for a number of equally important and worthy causes. I'd like to thank all of the riders who took part as well as the many different individuals and organisations who sponsored our efforts."