FOUR men from Hatherleigh are planning to kayak around 300 miles of coastline in an effort to raise money for four charities.

Chris Brown-Martin, Matt Retter, Chris Lake and Steve Carter are busy training for the South West Kayak Charity Challenge.

The challenge, taking place in August 2013, will see the lads kayak from Bude to Exeter around the Devon and Cornish coastline.

The team is planning to arrive in Exeter Quay on Sunday, August 25, giving themselves a fortnight to reach their destination fighting through tides, rip currents and navigating past other boats.

Organiser Chris Brown-Martin was diagnosed with Alpha 1-Antitrypsin Deficiency in 2008. He found out he had the condition following the fire at The George, Hatherleigh, where smoke inhalation led to the diagnosis of the condition. The genetic condition is associated with a number of respiratory and liver diseases, and Chris has chosen the four charities - Alpha One Awareness UK, Devon Air Ambulance Trust, Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust, and Surf Life Saving GB, to help save the lives of local people and raise awareness of his own condition.

Chris said: 'Training is hard work at the moment, very knackering. After a few hours it makes sure you have a good night's sleep. It's going to get harder through the winter months, but we are hoping to organise some pool sessions.

'I am feeling confident about it, but it is pretty scary - the thought of having to paddle for 14 days straight is a bit daunting.

'But I am looking forward to it, and it is fantastic to have the guys on board, as they all bring great qualities to the challenge.

'Support through sponsorship has been amazing so far, and what we need now is for people to find our Facebook page, click on the like button, and hopefully the more people that like the event, the more corporate sponsorship we can attract.'

The team has raised around £1,200 so far, with further pledged sponsorship pushing the running total over £1,700.

You can follow their endeavours on their Facebook page and Twitter, or by visiting http://www.southwestkayakcharitychallenge.co.uk">www.southwestkayakcharitychallenge.co.uk