Philip and Edward Halse of Halse South West in Ottery st Mary, Devon, have completed an epic cycling challenge to raise money for Somerset-based global farming charity Ripple Effect.

Formerly known as Send a Cow, Ripple Effect was set up by a group of Christian dairy farmers from the UK in 1988.

Outraged at EU milk quotas, which were forcing them to slaughter healthy dairy cows, and in response to an appeal from Uganda for milk, they embarked on a project, which was set to become an innovative and practical charity, send cows from their own herds to Uganda.

Ripple Effect no longer send cows from the UK, instead they source them locally. Their work has expanded to include much wider training on nutrition, gender equality and business skills. They have worked with over 2 million people as they have learned to grow and sell more, and share their new-found knowledge with their neighbours, who then do the same. the Charity works in six East African countries and it has been estimated that for every family the charity works with three more familioes benefit.

Philip and Edward's latest effort have just returned from a strenuous Lands End to John O'Groats cycling challenge that raised thousands of pounds for the charity.

As a family and business the Halse family have supported Ripple effect for many years. Philip said: "In 2018 I cycled across the Alps raising £31,000, but at Ripple Effect’s Carol Service last Christmas i felt challenged to do more."

Rising to the challenge, Philip and Edward took to two wheels and cycled 1017 miles in a week, starting from a rather windy Lands End during Storm Antoni, and five hardy customers still came to wave them off. The duo took a scenic route rather than the quickest route and were rewarded my many many miles of country roads, wonderful views but rather more hills and mountains than they might otherwise have encountered, including two of Scotland's three ski resorts.

Philip said: "More than 30 machinery manufacturers gave me an item of machinery for us to sell and donate the full sale value to the charity. Remarkably machines to the value of £ 187,000 have been donated and alongside this, customers and friends have been donating to our Just Giving page - Halse South West LEJOG for Ripple Effect with the running total approaching £ 195,000 - we are humbled and incredibly grateful."

Among the 30 supporters and donors of machinery were Charles Marshall of Marshall Trailers, McConnel, and Hedger and Storth.