'TAKE it back now y'all' has been firmly on the lips of Furness firefighters this week.

While preparing to take on a national challenge for CancerCare, fire crews in Barrow and Ulverston channelled their inner- Cha Cha.

But instead of sliding down their pole the teams have been sliding into the Cha Cha Slide Plank Challenge.

Personal trainer Steve Cody, 59, from Lancaster has set himself the challenge of doing the Cha Cha Slide dance while doing the plank position every day for a year.

He has been travelling across the country leading dances to raise money for CancerCare.

Speaking about his campaign, Mr Cody said: “I was inspired to take on the challenge after seeing how much my sister, Andrea, benefitted from the support that CancerCare offers.”

“My aim was to raise both money and awareness of CancerCare in general, so people know what services are offered, who it’s available to, and where CancerCare operates”.

Acting Fire Commander for South Cumbria, Roger Exley, said: “One of our managers up at Windermere saw what Steve was doing there.

“He told him about the campaign and we organised for him to come down.

“We try and support anything like this that raising money for good causes."

Originally Mr Cody was only aiming to raise £250 but has reached a total of £7,300.56.

Mr Cody spent 13 years as a physical training instructor in the army before a full time personal trainer.

His job has taken him many places, and he was even personal trainer for Mel B of the Spice Girls for six years. The idea for doing the Cha Cha Slide plank every day for a year came to him in a class.

He had been doing the plank exercise with members of the class for months, but thought doing it each day with as many different groups as possible would be a good way to raise money and awareness for CancerCare.

l Watch the video at www.nwemail.co.uk