A team of lifesavers has begun a gruelling 999-mile cycle ride to every ambulance trust in the country to raise funds for the Ambulance Service Benevolent Fund (ASBF).

The eight riders from the East of England Ambulance Service left their headquarters in Cambourne, near Cambridge, on Friday for their first overnight stop at Sheffield.

They aim to visit all 10 UK ambulance trusts over the next nine days, during which they will be supported by colleagues driving a pair of specially liveried Mercedes-Benz vehicles donated by Orwell Truck and Van.

Half of the team are based in Norwich and they aim to cycle 111 miles a day. They arrived in Newcastle at the weekend and are set to cycle into Manchester today.

The pedalling paramedics have raised more than £20,000 for ASBF over the last three years.

Matt Broad, Norfolk general manager, said: 'The ASBF is a great cause and it's brilliant to be able to help our colleagues across the ambulance services as you never know what can happen.

'ASBF is quite a small organisation and we have become the number one group that are raising money for them on a yearly basis. We are very keen to support them because you never know when you might need them. This is going to be our most difficult challenge yet.'

The paramedics cycled from Blackpool to Paris last year and pedalled from Land's End to John O'Groats in 2012.

They hope their latest adventure will result in them breaking the £30,000 fundraising mark.

For more information, visit www.pedallingparamedics.co.uk and to sponsor them, visit www.justgiving.com/Pedaling-ParamedicsAre you doing a charity cycle ride? Email adam.gretton@archant.co.uk