Over the next ten days, the G4S-sponsored team will cycle from John O’Groats to Lands’ End, scaling the highest peaks in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales and row across the Irish Sea twice.  The mission, which unites armed service personnel from the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, will climax in a mass skydive into Swansea on Friday 31 May. 

The quest has been made even more remarkable given that the team includes several amputees, injured while on active service in Afghanistan.

G4S has donated £10,000 to the challenge and provided support worth an additional £20,000.  Three G4S employees, Police Custody Detention Officers Ria Jones, 28; Dai Rees, 26 and Robert Fisher, 29, who all work in police custody suites in South Wales, will accompany the team throughout the ten-day challenge, using a new Land Rover provided by G4S and Hitachi Capital.

Patrick Toyne-Sewell, Corporate Affairs Director of G4S UK & Ireland, said:  

“G4S has always been proud to support our armed services and we are delighted to be able to support this fantastic event. I’d like to pay tribute particularly to our three colleagues who will be providing vital logistics support to the team throughout the event.  Help for Heroes is a fantastic cause and I wish the team every success in what will be an incredibly tough challenge.”

Event organiser, PC Richard Morgan from South Wales Police, said:

“We have all trained incredibly hard for this event and now the talking is over and the hard work starts. The team will average more than 100 miles per day but their journey will be that little bit easier with the G4S guys in support.  Without G4S’ donation of money, equipment and time the team would not be able to attempt this incredible challenge and I would like to thank the company for the support they have provided to us.”  

• The first leg of the challenge started today at 6am with a 116-mile cycle from John O’Groats to Beauly.

• Dai, Ria and Rob have swapped their roles as Custody Detention Officers for the next ten days to support the Heroes Challengers.  Their usual job would see them in custody suites in South Wales, helping the custody sergeant to ensure that prisoners, detainees and their belongings are cared for at police stations.  Typically this would include helping with release procedures for prisoners, supervising cells, preparing and serving food and drinks for prisoners and supervising visits by official visitors and ensuring visits by relatives are monitored. 

• About Heroes Challenge UK.