A STOURPORT man braved the elements to complete a 32-mile hike for cancer patients.

Ron Lynes, 67, tackled the Worcestershire Way, raising £835 for the Millbrook Suite at Kidderminster Hospital.

A self-employed sports massager, Mr Lynes was joined by one of his clients, Sally Warrington, whose mother, Pam, is being treated at the Millbrook for a rare heart condition called Amyloidosis.

Mr Lynes said: “She talked to me about her mum and the great way the Millbrook Suite was looking after her. She wanted to try and raise some money for them and I offered to help.”

His efforts also generated £500 for Milton Hall Baptist Church, which will pay for rubber mats for the children’s play area.

The route started at Bewdley Bridge, finishing at St Ann’s Well in Malvern four days later.

Mr Lynes stayed in bed and breakfasts along the way, which were paid for by some of his sponsors.

Mrs Warrington said: “We trudged through every condition that could be thrown at us from raincoat weather to shorts and back again.

“Mum’s condition means that she has to go down to a specialist centre in London, so I was unable to complete the whole walk but Ron, bless him, soldiered on.”

Mr Lynes added: “It was a fantastic walk but it was almost like doing my first marathon. I kept thinking ‘am I going to be able to finish?’”

The Millbrook Appeal, run by The Shuttle and the hospital League of Friends to fund the unit’s refurbishment, hit the £150,000 target over New Year.

The new suite is due to open over the coming weeks, with any new donations going towards its upkeep.