STAFF at Go Ape throughout the UK, including Wyre Forest, went bananas to support Teenage Cancer Trust, raising a grand total of £60,000 for the charity.

Go Ape is the UK’s leading forest adventure and staff from the 28 sites across the country devised the ‘Big Banana Relay’ to raise much needed funds for the charity. The relay consisted of a big banana being transported a total 1,823 miles across the UK.

The relay got underway at Leeds Castle in June and the big banana travelled to each of the Go Ape sites finishing up in Trent Park at the end of October.

The tribe managed to use more than 40 different modes of transport, including breaking the world record for the longest distance space hopped and a trip into space.

The Go Ape Wyre Forest team took the giant inflatable banana on a cycling and canoeing adventure to reach its next destination on the relay route of Go Ape Cannock Chase, near Birmingham.

Starting with a cycle from Go Ape Wyre Forest to Wolverley, the banana then canoed 9.5 miles down the canal. It then travelled by bike again for 6.5 miles, followed by another stretch on the canoe for 8.7 miles, before it finally completed its trip to Cannock by bicycle once again.

Rebecca Mayhew, co-founder and director of Go Ape, said: “We are proud to support Teenage Cancer Trust and delighted that our Go Ape Team has managed to raise £60,000 for such an important cause.”

Kate Collins, director of fundraising at Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “We want to say a huge thank you to staff at Go Ape for their incredible fundraising efforts and all the amazing creativity involved in the Big Banana relay.

“We rely on donations to fund our vital work and the money raised will help support young people with cancer and their families locally and across the UK.”