A GROUP of fundraisers who vowed to raise £2,000 in memory of dad-of-two Wayne Wilson are celebrating after reaching their target six times over.

Team Wayne, which was set up by family friend Damien Davis after Wayne, 26, of Cricklade , lost his battle with cancer last year, have taken part in a number of fundraising events to support Leukaemia And Lymphoma research.

The latest, which saw Damien carry the Olympic Torch through Ludgershall last week after Wayne’s mother Kay Wright nominated him, has helped the group reach an impressive total of £12,084.23.

Damien said he has been overwhelmed with the support from the public.

“Originally we set out to raise £2,000 but we have been close to the £12,000 mark for a while now so it is a big landmark for us,” he said. “I think Wayne would be overwhelmed by it all.”

Team Wayne first set themselves the Three Peaks Challenge last year but they hit national headlines when they climbed the wrong mountain, suffered injuries and had to call for help from mountain rescue after getting lost.

Despite failing the challenge, the group, who are made up of Damien, Carl Wright (Wayne’s brother), Kevin Giles, Kevin Midgeley, James Bowyer and Mike Murray, raised £10,219.

But they didn’t stop there. After taking part in the Great South Run 2011, they raised £1,015 and Damien’s Olympic Torch campaign has raised £785, with a further £65given in general donations in memory of Wayne.

Damien said: “I posed for photographs with the torch in Cricklade on Saturday and in donations we raised £420, which was amazing, I expected £30 or £40. “The support has just been overwhelming.

“I have been to the local Scout group with the torch, I’m going to the WI, primary schools, it is brilliant. “I’m not going to sell it because I am doing so many good things with it.

“To say carrying it was the single most incredible moment of my life would be an understatement. “I have watched the video of it about 100 times, it was amazing.

“Team Wayne will continue forever now, I don’t think we’ll ever reach the heights of the Olympic Torch but we will carry on fundraising.”

Damien and members of Wayne’s family will be taking part in this year’s Great South Run and Damien will carry the torch during the event.

For information visit www.teamwayne.co.uk.