Matthew Tucker has been donning his stretchy shorts and pounding the pavements, in preparation for a charity trek across the Sahara desert in February next year.

Matthew, who is managing director of Newark-based consulting engineers Morgan Tucker, is embarking on the mammoth task of trekking across the world's second largest desert to raise money for Beaumond House, which is organising the trip as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations.

The ten-day hike will start on Friday 10 February, and Matthew is already hard at work training so he is fit for the task.

Matthew says: "I'm always up for a challenge and I know someone who works for the charity who told me about the trek. I saw it in the local press and I had a friend who is the funding manager, I wanted to do something different and just decided to go for it. 

"I've been running, swimming and walking for the past few months, but now I'm really ramping it up and have started a rabbit food diet to help me to get fit. I'm hoping to raise £20,000, so I need to be sure I don't let anyone down. I'm not too nervous about the actual trek, but I am concerned about where the toilets will be!!"

Beaumond House Community Hospice is a registered charity that has been committed to providing supportive palliative care to patients with life limiting or terminal illnesses and their families living in Newark and district, since 1987. 

If you are interested in sponsoring Matthew then he has a 'Just Giving' page at www.justgiving.com/matthewatucker