BOTHERS from Newport have raised in excess of £50,000 for charity following an auction finale.

Gareth and Andy Shears of Bear Strength, a Newport based clothing company, teamed up with actor Sam Heughan and Fight Camp Glasgow’s John Valbonesi, to put on the My Peak Challenge Campaign.

The challenge aimed to encourage individuals from all walks of life to reach peak fitness and achieve personal goals – while raising money for the actor’s chosen charity Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research.

The official challenge weekend took place in March and has raised more than £28,000 on the Just Giving site with £7,500 from welcome packs produced by the Newport clothing company. Now an additional £15,700 has been raised in an online auction in which the My Peak Challenge flag was sold.

The flag was carried by Mr Heughan across the finish line at the LA Marathon which was his challenge. The winning bidder was Shannon from the USA, who will be receiving a bundle of additional items for her generosity.

Gareth Shears, from Rogerstone, co-owner of Bear Strength, said: "The success of My Peak Challenge has been truly overwhelming. The support from the fans worldwide has been incredible since day one and I really can’t thank them enough for this.

"When we decided to launch the auction, we had no idea how much money it was going to raise – we just simply thought it would be a nice way to finish the campaign and give the fans a chance to win a real one-off item. We couldn’t believe it when we found out it had reached £15,700.”

Mr Heughan, actor and co-organiser said: “I had this idea while working in Scotland and came to John for help. I love walking, climbing and being outdoors and I wanted to share that passion with all the friends and fans."

For more information visit www.justgiving.com/MyPeakChallenge