By Frankie Barron

Former Dorset students have completed a 2,000-mile cycling adventure from Russia to the UK in aid of lifesavers.

Ex-Sherborne School pupils Tom James, Rory McMillan, Oliver ‘Beanie’ Lawson and George Sarson raised more than £4,000 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

The four cyclists travelled to St Petersburg in late July and set off for a ride through the forests of Finland despite the risk of encountering bears.

From Finland, the graduates rode across Sweden, where it rained for eight days straight. Once they were through Sweden, their route took them across Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands.

When they finally reached the Hook of Holland, they took an overnight ferry to Harwich to complete the final UK leg.

At the ferry terminal they were greeted by family, friends and the RNLI Harwich lifeboat.

Chris Copeland, Chairman of RNLI Sherborne Branch said: “This 2,000-mile bike ride from St Petersburg all the way back to the UK was a quantum leap in endurance, fortitude and achievement. It reflects the maturity that the boys have achieved in the past three years, aided no doubt by their university education.

What is really impressive is the numbers of donations, currently 126, they have received from people from all walks of life.

"As I write they have raised £4,192 to which Gift Aid will raise this amount to £5,038. Such fund-raising is only achieved through sheer hard work and dedication.”

Mr Copeland added: “Fundraising is a vital part of the RNLI's work because they receive no government support and never have. A visit to a lifeboat station, such as at Swanage, will reveal all too clearly the importance of clothing and equipping a lifeboatman to adequately to carry out their work. Thus a £5,000 fundraising effort by the 4 boys is just one valuable example of how such expenditure is funded.”