Eighteen supporters of Leeds care home Donisthorpe Hall braved blisters and sleep deprivation to complete a 24-hour walk through the Yorkshire countryside, raising over £30,000.

Local pharmacist Ashley Cohen came up with the idea for the 62-mile walk, which started at Golden Acre Park on Sunday and ended at Donisthorpe on Monday. Participants had trained for three months for the test of mental and physical endurance. They were assisted along the route by helpers who brought food, drink and medical supples by minibus to designated points.

Mr Cohen said the nocturnal section was the toughest. “We were at our lowest, cold and tired. Many soldiered on with bad foot blisters and leg injuries.” He highlighted the courage of young father Ilan Sherman whose blisters required hospital treatment but insisted on completing the course.

For working mums Natalie Rich and Katie Newman, the fundraiser was also an incentive to get fit. Brother and sister Daniel Myers and Karen Lewis were walking in memory of their father Peter Myers, who died at Donisthorpe two weeks ago.