AT 11AM on Friday three intrepid hikers from the area joined 21 other trekkers on a coach and set off to Heathrow Airport for a 4.30pm flight to Beijing.

Jeremy Wilkinson, from Dunmow, Roger Buckley, from Felsted, and Stacy Owen, from Stansted, are trekking the Great Wall of China and the hills around the Chinese capital.

Afterwards they will take in the sites of the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square before heading back home – raising an amazing �45,000 for St Clare’s Hospice in the process.

Events fundraiser and trekker Tracy Stratford said: “Everyone has put so much effort into their training and their fundraising – one lady raising over �7000 by herself.

“Another duo worked with their family to organise a massive football fun day which raised over �5000 too.

“There have been quizzes, fashion shows, car boot sales, BBQs, discos, collections, company donations, school fundraising – they’ve all done a fabulous job of spreading the word about the hospice within the community.”

She added: “Everyone has prepared as much as they could and of course raised the money to take part and extra money to fund the work of St Clare.

“The huge total will fund nearly eight weeks of day therapy care for 48 patients or two weeks of inpatient care for eight patients.

“It’s an amazing sum of money and will fund the very best care for people facing a very difficult time in their lives.”

The team is set to return Tuesday September 28.