AN INTREPID band of staff from Strathcarron Hospice are gearing up for a charity dash around the whole of Forth Valley next month.

The nurses, doctors, consultants and other employees are hoping to raise as much as £11,000-£12,000 with their efforts, which is the cost of providing care to patients for one day.

They are being lead by chaplain Stuart Murdoch, who came up with the idea of running around the whole catchment area of Strathcarron Hospice – a journey over around 200 miles.

He told the Advertiser: “I love running trails and over the hills, rather than on the pavements.

“As a hospice chaplain, I thought it would be good to run around the catchment area and that’s why I set that goal.”

Last year, Stuart pounded the trails on his own when he ran from the hospice site to Loch Lomond and up the West Highland Way to Tyndrum.

Other staff have since expressed an interest in joining and this year’s run will continue from Tyndrum along the trails over a route covering around 26 miles.

On Sunday, June 10, they will take in Crianlarich, it will then be over the hills to Killin and down to Lochearnhead.

The next leg, to be completed sometime this year, will bring the crew all the way to Menstrie in the Wee County.

The chaplain added: “With the hospice having to raise in excess of £12,000 a day, we all have to do our bit to support it.

“While I am physically able to do these things I love pushing my body to the limit and this one of the ways I do it. So I kind of always want to up the distance and up the ante a wee bit and that’s how I came up with it.

“I thought it would be a whacky, challenging thing to do.”

Three nurses, who are all Clackmannanshire residents, are also taking part and are hoping the Wee County will get behind their efforts with its big heart.

Joining the chaplain will be Menstrie’s Carolyn Wackett, Tillicoultry’s Katie Sharp and Nicola Gordon from Alloa.

The runners have a core group of around half a dozen who will do the full distance and a few newer runners have opted to do eight miles or so towards the end of the route.

And with more and more staff wanting to join in, the numbers could grow going forward.

Donations are being taken online through Carolyn’s page at justgiving.com/fundraising/carolyn-wackett