Staff at Canotec are gearing up for a fundraising bike ride with some ‘ferry’ welcome rests.

The Ringwood-based digital copiers dealership will be among dozens of firms taking part in the Solent Coasts Cycling Challenge on Saturday, June 19.

Canotec, which has 1,200 clients in the South, has entered a team of eight riders for the event, which is registered for 300 riders and covers 66 miles, broken up with six ferry journeys.

Riders will spend up to 12 hours cycling a circular route between Lymington and Portsmouth and the south-west part of the Isle of Wight, with ferries at Hythe, Hamble, Gosport, Portsmouth, Cowes and Yarmouth back to the start at Lymington Ferry Terminal.

They are being asked to raise at least £125 each in sponsorship for the official charities supported by the event, now in its eighth year.

Pictured, from left, are Canotec’s Ian Smith, sales director, Denise Armstrong, financial controller, and Mike Way, who heads up website development.

The charities are Hope and Aid Direct, which provides convoys of humanitarian aid, and Growing Care, a smallholding project in Romania aimed at helping youngsters out of poverty.

Denise said: “This will be a great way to take in the sights of the Solent coastline while helping good causes at the same time.

“I just hope that one of our colleagues, Ian Smith, doesn’t get too far ahead – he’s just returned from completing the Ironman Lanzarote, which involved a 112-mile bike ride!”

Canotec employees taking part include Denise, Ian, Mike, David Newman and Ben Elmore, well as some partners.

They will be teaming up with HJS Essentia, an ICT specialist based in Southampton.