Health club manager Colin Berryman and four members of his staff rowed a marathon in Oxford's Westgate Shopping Centre to raise money for the Children's Hospital Campaign.

Mr Berryman, 30, the manager of the Bourton Mill Health and Leisure Club, in High Street, last year raised funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust as part of the national Commit to Get Fit campaign.

Following the birth of his 13-month-old son Joseph, Mr Berryman decided to raise funds for the hospital, which will open next year.

He said the team each "rowed" about five miles, taking about half an hour to complete their section, and Oxford's Lord Mayor, Jim Campbell, took a turn.

Mr Berryman, who lives in Grove with his wife Sarah, said Joseph was born five weeks prematurely and was cared for at Milton Keynes General Hospital, because the special care baby unit at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital was full at the time.

The club manager said: "Commuting from Grove to Milton Keynes for two weeks wasn't fantastic. As a parent, I sympathise with others who have experienced far greater problems than us.

"The hospital will be a wonderful facility for children and parents and I thought it would be a wonderful local charity to support. We haven't set a target for the amount we're going to raise, but everyone at the club is being very supportive."

Once the children's hospital is open, babies who are born prematurely will continue to be cared for at the JR's special care baby unit, "Staff at special care baby units do an excellent job and it would be great if the capacity could be expanded in Oxford at some point," said Mr Berryman.