LANCASHIRE Fire and Rescue Service HQ colleagues will be heading for the hills, on separate continents, to raise money for good causes.

Sharon Aspin, who deals with 999 calls at the Fulwood site, is gearing up to set off from her Preston home to trek in Ladakh (Little Tibet) in August.

Meanwhile, Pete Aspden, of Darwen and Dave Swallow, of Poulton, will be taking on a cycle marathon from Lands End to John O' Groats later this week.

On her trek in the Himalayas, Sharon will be joining a team of 65 climbers, all eager to scale staggering heights of more than 3,500 metres.

She said: "I will sleep in a small tent, toilets will be holes in the ground and I'll have to wash in rivers. With only a short time to acclimatise, altitude sickness is a very real possibility."

Charity champ Sharon aims to raise about £2000 for Mencap, which raises money for people with learning disabilities, to help them live more fulfilling lives.

She added: "Every week 200 babies are born in the UK with a learning disability, so my apprehension about the trek doesn't count for much when I consider the good that the sponsorship money can do for them."

Altitude sickness is far from the minds of cycle buffs Pete and Dave, who are hoping to pedal push a 900-mile route with ease.

Before they set off, the intrepid trio are looking for people and local companies to sponsor them. Also, Dave and Pete are keen to get their hands on a camper van for the first week in September to use as a support vehicle during their ride.

If you can help call them on ((01772) 862545.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.