THREE Brockenhurst College lecturers brought themselves to the peak of fitness for a very good cause.

They completed the famed Three Peaks Challenge, walking up nearly 11,000 feet of British mountains in 24 hours to raise money for sufferers of a very rare disability - Ataxia Telangiectasia.

Little Ebony Robinson, 5, who lives in Bournemouth and is a pupil of Queens Park School, is to be the main beneficiary of the teaching trio's energetic exploits.

Ebony will get £1,770 put in trust for her parents Lorna and Tyrone to use when her AT gets more severe.

Another £1,000 will go to the AT Society to help research into the progressive and potentially crippling disease.

Dad Tyrone said they wanted to thank the three climbers - John MacArthur, Ted Rogers and Ted Ennis - for their help.

"Ebony is a very strong, positive and happy little girl, but she does ask questions now about why she has wobbly legs," he said.

"It is good to know the cash is there to help buy any specialist equipment she might need in the future. She is likely to need a wheelchair by the time she is eight or ten."

John MacArthur, head of hospitality studies at the college, said: "Our colleague Cathy Larby has a relative with AT, and that is how we heard what a devastating condition it can be.

"We wanted to do something to help a local child with AT and the national society found Ebony for us."

Former Royal Marine turned Brockenhurst lecturer Ted Ennis said the team had been very happy to help Ebony and achieve an enjoyable challenge at the same time.

"We trained for three months in summer - walking the rugged south coast was good preparation for Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Mount Snowdon."