A football manager and one of his former players are among a team of fundraisers who rowed across the English Channel for charity.

Former Stoke City and current Middlesbrough manager Tony Pulis and former Stoke City player Rory Delap were among a team raising for The Donna Louise charity.

The Donna Louise supports the families of seriously ill children at its respite centre in Staffordshire.

Team members rowed from Le Havre in France to Brighton as part of an epic journey from the Eiffel Tower in Paris to Tower Bridge in London.

It took them 40 hours to row the distance and among the group there are business owners, chief executives, university professors, and others. The support team includes charity volunteers and sports therapists.

They arrived at Brighton Marina at 3am yesterday, the third day of the challenge. They had time to stop for a photograph before moving on to complete a 100km trek to London.

Charity spokesman Mel Hulse said: “In Brighton they were half way through their epic challenge where they faced high winds, rough waters, storms and high swells. It was so bad that at one point they had to leave the boat.

“Then they had just a few hours to adapt to being back on land, get some breakfast and change their clothes before putting on their walking boots to set off on the final leg of the challenge.

“They have been awake for more than 50 hours and have so far travelled 460km since 5am on Monday morning.

“So they are exhausted, sore and mentally very tired.”

On the final leg they will be joined by Kip Blakeman, whose family uses the charity for respite care for their daughter Lyla.

Lyla suffered a stroke in the womb when her mum Meghan Blakeman was 18 weeks pregnant, and was born premature with brain damage, epilepsy, visual impairments and cerebral palsy. She needs specialist care, equipment and medical intervention.

Lyla’s older brothers Jamie and Connor enjoy the charity’s sibling groups and art therapy, Meghan receives counselling and has pamper sessions, and Kip regularly joins the dad’s group.

For more about the challenge visit towertotower.co.uk.