A group of Middlesbrough travel agents have raised over £300 for a local domestic abuse charity after organising a sponsored walk.

The five-strong team from Hays Travel in Linthorpe Road completed the 10-mile walk from the Transporter Bridge in Middlesbrough to the Infinity Bridge in Stockon and back.

The event raised £327 for My Sister’s Place, a Middlesbrough based charity who support victims of domestic abuse.

Hays Travel branch manager, Lauren McCullow, said: “We had a great time on our charity walk. It was very tiring but we did it!

"We chose My Sister’s Place to fundraise for because it is a local charity in need of support who do vital work in our community.”

Each Hays Travel branch is provided with a £500 budget to use for fundraising and charity work in their local area; £200 of this is to be used to fundraise for charities which support young people’s mental health, the rest can be used for other charities chosen by the branch.

In the last year, Hays Travel’s Local Community Partnership initiative across its retail network has donated over £177,000 to local charities.

Sarah Stephenson, community fundraiser at My Sister’s Place, said: “One of the challenges we face as a domestic abuse charity is engaging new supporters because it can be seen as an uncomfortable or taboo subject, or people simply lack understanding of the challenges, complexity and increased danger of leaving an abusive relationship.

“We are so thankful to the Hays Travel Linthorpe Road team who have done a fantastic job fundraising to help provide vital support to adults and children affected by domestic abuse.

“We provide holistic, therapeutic and practical support through a range of specialist teams. If you or anyone you know living in Middlesbrough needs support, please reach out to the service.”