A TEAM who tackled more than 100 kilometres of walking in three consecutive days have raised £7,000 for the Colchester Cancer Centre Campaign.

The enduring efforts of David Brady, Mat French, Tony Adams and supporters mean the campaign is within a few hundred thousand pounds of the final amount left to raise, to build and equip the £3.25million centre at Colchester Hospital.

The team, all from Copford, started their walk from London Liverpool Street station on Friday and finished at Henley on Thames on Sunday, even battling painful hail stones on the way.

David, 47, said: “When we started they were £100,000 short so we were doing 100k.

“At the moment, including Gift Aid, we have just over £7,000.”

In the end they walked 108kms, or 67 miles.

The team also walked in aid of the campaign last year and raised £6,500.

They walked 125kms from Lowestoft to Copford.

David, who has three children and is married to Sara, said: “A friend of ours was diagnosed in March with cancer and he was 54, and he died in April.

“My mum’s best friend recently died of cancer, her two sisters died of cancer.

“Everyone has had a loss from cancer. “

On day two of this weekend’s walk the team were drenched by driving rain.

“Right at the end of that there was hail stones and it actually hurt,” said media worker David.

But he, Mat, 50, and Tony, 5 0, battled on.

Family and friends joined them for different stages and David said it was thanks to them the money was raised.

He added: “The amazing thing is it has got people walking and moving that wouldn’t normally.

“There are quite a few people that had never walked more than five miles. This year two people from last year did 24 miles.”

The Cancer Centre Campaign, supported by The Daily Gazette, has meant construction has started on the state-of-the-art facility and it is due to open by Christmas. Money is still needed for furnishings and fin al touches.

A building will house the chemotherapy, radiotherapy and haematology suite and a wellness centre at the front of the hospital, will enable patients to receive complimentary treatment, such as counselling.

The campaign has been spearheaded by the Colchester and Ipswich Hospitals Charity (Cohoc).

Find out more at www.colchesteripswichcharity.org.uk/cancercentrecampaign/.

Donate to David and his team at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/100kEnduranceWalk.