A DEDICATED group of women jumped at the chance to raise money for a much-loved Inverclyde charity.

Local ladies got together to complete Getting Skippy With It, a skipping challenge to generate funds for Ardgowan Hospice.

Each big-hearted jumper in the group completed 15 minutes of skipping every day in February and together the brilliant bouncers raised almost £800 for the cause.

Local woman Mhairi Powell sent out the initial rallying cry to ladies to encourage them to take part.

She was inspired to raise money for Ardgowan Hospice following the passing of her dad, Alexander Carroll.

Mhairi added: "The staff at the hospice were absolutely wonderful with my dad and I wanted to do something to thank them.

"I was intending to just take on the challenge myself in the beginning but it grew arms and legs.

"We all have a link to the hospice and it's a service that's really valued and appreciated by everyone in Inverclyde."

Mhairi said she wanted to do something that would be 'achievable but not too achievable' to push herself and said the challenge was ultimately more physically demanding than she expected it to be.

She added: "Most of us are working mums with young children so it had to be something we could fit around our lives.

"We started off aiming for 100 skips a day but realised that would be a bit too easy so we decided on 15 minutes.

"We all did it individually and it worked really well for us.

"I didn't expect it to be quite so difficult!

"It made us feel like it really was a challenge and we had to work hard for it."

Mhairi was joined by Lisa McNicol, Kerryanne MacKenzie, Arlene Tamburini, Elissa Stevens, Gill Campbell, Charelle Pickett and Vanessa Hall in the charity skip.

She said the team are thrilled with the amount raised.

Mhairi added: "It was a lovely thing for us to do together as friends.

"We're very proud to have raised such a fantastic amount for an amazing cause."

Ardgowan Hospice fundraising assistant Leonna Gallacher said: "This was a really good idea and it was something a wee bit different.

"This is a fantastic amount of money and will be of great benefit to us.

"We would like to say a big 'thank-you' to everyone who took part."

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SKIP TO IT Arlene Tamburini and Elissa Scott with nurse Fraser Warwick.