OKEHAMPTON College students had a very special guest in the form of a London 2012 medallist as they played their part in an epic fundraising event.

Rowing coxless eight bronze medallist and Beijing 2008 silver medallist Alex Partridge dropped into the college as part of the Deloitte Ride Across Britain. The rower took the time to chat to students and have photographs taken with his London 2012 medal.

Catering students gave up their weekend of September 8 and September 9 to cater for 800 fundraisers and support crew members who were cycling from Land's End to John O'Groats to raise funds for the British Paralympic Association.

The occasion was particularly fitting as the students worked during the final weekend of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. The challenge raised over £1-million for the association.

Students cooked an evening meal and breakfast for the cyclists, working long hours to prepare and serve the meals. All food was purchased from local shops selling mainly local produce.

After their overnight stint in Okehampton, the cyclists set off on September 9 on a 110 mile leg to Bath.

The college was the only over-night stop at a school throughout the challenge.

Keith Webber from the college said: 'Feeding and accommodating 800 people is quite an undertaking for a group of students, but that is precisely what happened.

'It shows the benefits of vocational education and the fantastic capabilities of Okehampton students, being able to prepare high quality nutrition for a massive number of people.'