AYRSHIRE firefighters will trek from Ayr to Ardrossan in full firefighting PPE kit to show support for two charities.

The ten strong firefighters will start at Ayr Fire Station before heading on to Kilmarnock, Dreghorn, Kilwinning and then finishing at Ardrossan on Friday (October 2).

Each firefighter will be carrying 10 to 12 kilos for a total of 30 miles.

Their aim is to raise thousands for Macmillan Cancer Support and West FM’s Cash for Kids who both have had a positive impact in Ayrshire with the cancer charity also supporting a member of their team recently.

Already the public have backed their mission with over £1,500 raised in donations.

The heroes from Blue Watch Fire Station in Kilmarnock will start their walk visiting all five whole-time fire stations across Ayrshire at 7.45am.

Watch Commander, Gordon Cairns who is leading the dedicated group of firefighters, said: “We picked the two charities because they both make a big impact in Ayrshire. We chose Macmillan Cancer because, someone in our watch received support from them recently, and most of us unfortunately have a family member, a friend or colleague who has gone through a cancer experience.

“West FM help a number of local charities through Cash for Kids, so we wanted to do something for them. We felt that both charities help people emotionally and mentally as well as physically, so that was a big reason for supporting them.”

Contemplating the long journey wearing their full fire kit, Gordon said: “I think we’ll be carrying around 10 to 12 kilos with all our kit on, so it’ll be a bit of a challenge to carry for 30 miles. There’s ten of us in total, aging from around thirty to fifty – we’ll support each other along the way.

“It should take us somewhere between eight and ten hours to complete. We’re aiming for around three miles an hour, although I imagine we’ll be a bit faster than that – there’s a plan in place.”

“We’ll be following all the social-distancing guidelines, but it should be a fun day and we’re obviously hoping for some dry weather. It’s for two great causes and we’re just glad we’re able to give something back to the charities that help people in our community.

“A big thank you to retired firefighter, Charles Sim, who is now the local Co-Op Member Pioneer, for supplying lunch for us on Friday, and to the local Tesco for donating items we need to keep us going.

“It’s a challenge out there for charities just now because of the pandemic. So, anything people can donate will be very much appreciated, thank you.”

You can donate to the Ayrshire firefighters challenge here.