WORKERS have raised thousands for Worcester's breast unit after completing the equivalent of a huge hike to their head office in Italy.

ACMI UK staff raised £2,550 for Worcestershire Breast Unit Haven by completing a fundraising walk to celebrate its 15th anniversary.

The walk, which took place on a treadmill, covered the equivalent distance between ACMI’s offices in Broomhall just outside Worcester to the company’s head office in Parma, Italy - a distance of 1,633km.

Five ACMI UK staff aged between 28 and 66, took part in the walk which began in April last year and was completed December 13 last year. Members of staff walked between three and 10 kilometres per day and were able to do this in several stages in their breaks and lunch hours.

ACMI, which specialises in the production of high technology bottling and packaging lines for the food and beverage industry in the UK and Ireland, has also made a donation to St Richard’s Hospice and to the local RSPCA in Hatfield Worcester as a result of the fundraising walk.

Rick Gerrard from ACMI said: “We are delighted to make this donation to the Worcestershire Breast Unit Haven.

"We wholeheartedly support their work across Worcestershire. It’s been our pleasure to help this great cause in some small way.”

Lexi Craigie, fundraising manager at WBUH, said: “The support of local businesses such as ACMI makes a massive difference to a small charity like us.

"This is a significant amount for us and will be used to help provide the complementary therapies which we offer on a Thursday from the breast unit."

If you would like to fundraise for Worcestershire Breast Unit Haven, please contact Lexi Craigie on 01905 733 786.