FED up with "easy charity challenges" designer Colin Steele tasked himself with coming up with a difficult feat which would wheel-y get people donating.

So the AO.com worker — who has already climbed Kilimanjaro and cycled the length of the country — decided to attempt to master the unicycle in just four weeks then complete a 13-mile ride.

Mr Steele said: "I have done lots for charity and it gets progressively hard to think of something that will get people to part with their money.

"I had to think of something daft and I chose the unicycle.

"I did put pressure on myself for setting myself a target and I was training every evening."

That training left him black and blue on more than one occasion with one fall even needing a trip to accident and emergency.

The dad-of-two missed a few days of training but but was soon back in the saddle.

Mr Steele completed his challenge by unicycling 50 laps of Bolton Arena athletics track on the hottest day of the year, earlier this month.

He raised £1,200 to provide a specialist picnic bench for children's hospice Derian House in Chorley.

Mr Steele, who has worked at the firm for nine-years, added: "My family, like my friends, think I'm crazy.

"I have hugely supportive and beautiful wife.

"I am so fortunate. I have healthy children and a nice life and feel so lucky and am able to help others.

"Derian House is an amazing charity that provides specialist care for children with a life threatening illness."

Later this summer Mr Steele and his colleagues will be raising further funds for Derian House by undertaking a bicycle ride from Germany to Bolton.

The 600 mile ride, which will be completed in four days, will raise money to help build a new park, which will be the first of its kind in the North West.

He will be using his normal bike for the marathon cycle but added that he now has a choice of bikes on family rides.

To donate visit www.justgiving.com/DerianPlay