WORKERS from Heysham's Nuclear Power Stations have gone charitytastic, taking on incredible tasks in the name of various good causes. For example, Alan Thornton who works at Heysham Two is swapping his shirt and tie for shorts and a t-shirt as he takes part in a 100km sponsored walk through the Judean desert in Israel. The walk will take place over five days and the hundreds of other walkers alongside Alan will complete 20km per day for Scope, the charity which helps people suffering from cerebral palsy.

As well as needing to be fit for this test of endurance, Alan will also have to contend with the extreme temperatures of heat during the day and freezing conditions during the night.

He said: "Doing something unusual is the best way of raising the maximum amount of money for charity and this is certainly unusual."

If you think that's unusual, what about the antics of soon to be round-the-world sailors Fiona Murray and Vinn McGuire.

The pair, who will be competing in the BT Global Challenge yacht race in four weeks time, are to join 10 colleagues from Heysham One in a 105-mile charity boat push.

Starting tomorrow, Friday, the team will navigate a 12ft sailing dinghy along the winding roads between Hartlepool and Heysham to raise money for the Royal Lancaster Infirmary's Children's Ward, the Multiple Sclerosis Society and the NSPCC.

The gruelling journey will be made even worse by the fact that the team are sticking to 'B' roads and stopping off for just two night, in Richmond and Ingleton.

This Sunday, September 1, the exhausted team will steam along the promenade in Morecambe collecting money from the visitors to Womad before sailing in to dock back at Heysham.

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