A team of kind hearted fundraisers from Barnsley swapped buses for bikes to raise money for a local charity. 

Five Stagecoach Yorkshire bus drivers, all members of the TykesBikers Cycling club, and three friends cycled from Barnsley to Doncaster and back to raise £700 for Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity. 

The five hour ride took the cyclists from the Keel Inn in Barnsley to Doncaster’s Robin Hood Airport and back to Barnsley via the Transpennine trail in Conisborough and the Dearne Valley. 

The group of fundraising bus drivers included Lee Shaw, Terry Farnsworth, Malcolm Crummock, John Law and Dave Betts, all from Barnsley. 

Terry Farnsworth, co-organiser of the ride said: 'We set up the bike club because we drive all day at work and it is relaxing to do something different. So we decided to put all our training in practice and help raise some money for the Children’s Hospital. 

'It was quite rough terrain, especially on the return trip, but it was a very good ride and we all thought it was worth it and we are really pleased to be supporting such a worthwhile cause.'

The money will go towards the hospital’s £75,000 DXA Scanner Appeal. The state-of-the-art equipment is vital in the diagnosis of bone disease and can also help children suffering from Chron’s disease and eating disorders that may affect bone density. 

The fundraising total was boosted by a £150 donation from Stagecoach Yorkshire’s managing director Paul Lynch. 

Fran Hunt, fundraiser for the Sheffield Children’s Charity said: 'We are very impressed with the hard work and dedication that the TykesBikers and their friends have shown in raising money for the DXA appeal.

The money will take us one step closer to being able to purchase this vital piece of equipment.'