THE University of Worcester will be walking, running, cycling, rowing and swimming around the world in 80 days to raise money for charity.

Students and staff are being encouraged to pick a physical activity to reach a combined total of 24,902 miles, the distance equal to the equatorial circumference of the Earth.

The challenge is aimed at helping staff and students get active in the new year by raising awareness of the benefits of exercise for personal wellbeing, while raising funds for St Richard’s Hospice, the university's charity of the year.

University vice chancellor, Professor David Green, and Mark Jackson, chief executive of St Richard’s Hospice, will launch the challenge on Monday, February 3, by walking a mile around the university and logging it on a chart. All staff will be encouraged to walk the same mile that week to raise funds, donating £1 on completing the mile, and are then being asked to complete their own challenges throughout the next 80 days.

Louise Jones, strategic director for health and wellbeing at the university, said this was the time of year when people thought about becoming more active and the institution wanted to capture it in a positive way.

She said: “We hope that the challenge of going around the world in 80 days by covering 24,902 miles will prove a fun and exciting way for staff and students to improve their wellbeing and raise funds for charity."

For more information visit worcester.ac.uk/discover/around-the-world-in-80-days.html.