M&S Dunblane Simply Food completed a sponsored in-store bike challenge on Saturday 8 November to raise funds for the town’s First Responders; the store’s chosen Charity of the Year.

The ambitious cycle was carried out by Alan Morrison, store operations, who is also a member of the Stirling Bike Club.

First Responder volunteers, including M&S Dunblane’s Liz Kirkhope, were on hand to discuss their role within the community and how the money raised will help to support the service.

Each year, M&S stores around the country select one charity to support for the full year, hosting fundraising events with customers and employees.

First Responder volunteers are part of the Scottish Ambulance Service and provide life-saving treatment to people within the community who are critically ill in the first few minutes prior to the arrival of an ambulance.

M&S Dunblane’s partnership with the charity started in April this year and has so far raised over £500 through in-store collection tins. Employees have also been raising money by guessing how many miles Alan and the team will cover.

Jennifer Winning, M&S Dunblane Simply Food store manager, said: “First Responders rely greatly on donations from members of the public and we wanted to do our part to help protect the longevity of this service for the public and our customers.

“I’m glad to see people came together on Saturday to get behind our charity challenge and show their support by donating to this fantastic cause.”