A TEAM of hotel employees are planning to row across the English Channel to raise funds for a hospital.

The group of eight, who work for Premiere Inn hotels in Bournemouth and Poole, will be rowing a Cornish gig the full 51 miles from Kent to Nieuwpoort in Belgium and then back again to Ramsgate, a journey expected to take 16 hours.

The event, on May 16, will raise funds for Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital in London, and they have already raised more than £1,600.

The team, who are all amateur rowers, held their first training session together on Saturday, heading out from Poole ferry terminal for several hours of rowing.

Team co-organiser Matthew Perry, 38, said: "I had the idea with Mark Perkins, we did the Three Peaks Challenge two years ago and we wanted to top it this year.

"It has taken a while to get the team together, and we have struggled to find a sponsor for our support boat, so we have had to fund it ourselves.

"It is a daunting challenge, it is tougher than anything we have done before and none of us are experienced rowers.

"It is also the world's busiest shipping lane, but we have all the safety precautions in place."

The other team members are Jo Baxter, Thomas Goodman-Law, Mark Linnington and Mark Perkins from the Bournemouth West Cliff Premiere Inn; Scott Novell and Chris Tagliavini from the chain's Bournemouth Central hotel, and Joey Miles, a friend who works elsewhere.

Although some members of the group know each other well, the 16 hour journey in a cramped boat with no toilet facilities is likely to bring them all a new bond.

"We are all heading out for dinner together when we get back," said Mr Perry, who lives in Bournemouth with his fiancee Louise and newborn daughter Jasmine.

"Hopefully we will be able to fit in more training together between now and the day, it is difficult in the hospitality industry to find the time.

"But I think we will be fine on the day, we are all quite strong willed and I think if you set your mind to anything you can do it."

To donate, visit https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/pirow.