STAFF at a Thixendale-based business have pledged to walk, cycle or run 500 miles to raise funds for its charity of the year.

Between March 15 and 21, 16 members of the Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil team will each do 30 miles of their chosen activity and hope to raise £1,000 for Downright Special - a charity that supports children with Down Syndrome in Hull and East Yorkshire.

The date and the distance are both significant as March 15 marks the start of Down Syndrome Awareness Week and 30 miles is the distance between Thixendale and Downright Special's base in Hull.

Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil's Marcelle Tisserant, who has organised the event, said: "Downright Special were our chosen charity of the year for 2020, but as the year did not go to plan for anyone, we've decided to support them this year and look forward to starting our fundraising.

"Downright Special's goal is simple, to build a brighter future for children with Down Syndrome and they do this with no funding from statutory agencies like the local authority or NHS.

"We can't wait to do our bit to raise funds to support them. We've lots of plans in place, so watch this space."

The team members include 10-year-old Charlie and seven-year-old Ivy who will complete a mile for each year of their age.

The team plans to raise money through a series of events and a limited edition Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil product that will be available later in the year.

It has set up a Virgin Money Giving Page which sends every donation directly to Downright Special, this can be accessed here.