AFTER cycling, rowing and walking 100km across Oxfordshire over three days, disability support charity Style Acre is setting its sights on higher peaks.

Last month, eight adults with learning disabilities and support staff conquered the elements as they completed their sponsored sprint across South Oxfordshire.

The participants raised more than £2,000 for Style Acre and now the charity is already looking to go one better next year.

Head of fundraising Philippa Stannard said: "This was the first challenge Style Acre has done and we will definitely do it again.

"Next year we hope to create a challenge where members of the public will want to take part.

"Many ideas have been put forward – doing the same challenge again, the Chiltern Way, the cycle path from Wallingford to Banbury, and even Snowdon."

Scaling Snowdon’s 1,085m summit might appear ambitious, but the 100km challengers have already overcome testing conditions here in Oxfordshire.

High winds hampered the 68km cycle ride and 12km canoe trip on October 11 and 12, but the participants fought through the weather.

They were rewarded with more pleasant conditions on the final day, a 21km walk from Abingdon to Wallingford.

Didcot resident Rachel Knapp, who is supported by the charity and works at the Style Acre tea room at Savages garden centre in Blewbury, came through each day with flying colours.

She said: "I actually came first in all three challenges.

"The hardest part was the cycling, because it was painful – I just thought ‘ignore the pain, just get on with it’.

"I’m looking forward to doing another challenge next year."

Style Acre has grown considerably since a group of parents registered the charity in 1992 to secure the future of a residential home where their adult children were living.

The organisation now supports and employs more than 300 across Oxfordshire.

This month it was crowned ‘Best Established Charity or Community Group’ in the 2017 Didcot First Business and Community Awards.

With the charity trying to help more people than ever, Miss Stannard said fundraising events like the 100km challenge made a 'huge difference'.

She said: "The money will help us fund the shortfall that we experience in delivering our day hubs.

"These are vital social and safe places where people can participate in a wide range of leisure and developmental activities from yoga and karate and gaining work experience.

"Whilst people we support usually have personal budgets, these are now subject to cuts and for many people, they do not have a budget to fully pay for the activities they access at Style Acre.

"It is vital that our hubs continue, so that people we support don’t become isolated or vulnerable."