BAD weather scuppered PE teacher Jonathan Reed's attempt to put his fitness to the test on four separate occasions.

But the 52-year-old West Somerset Community College staffer finally completed the tough North Hill Triathlon - and boosted the coffers of a fundraising programme to help schoolchildren in Uganda.

Jonathan had to postpone the challenge four times and still faced difficult conditions when it finally went ahead.

Helped by colleague Michael Auton, he notched up a one-mile swim from Warren Point to Minehead's lifeboat station, followed by a six-mile kayak paddle to Bossington Beach, wrapping up the bid with a seven-mile run back along the coastpath.

Jonathan crossed the finishing line with a time of three hours and 20 minutes.

"Having to battle against a force four head wind on the kayak leg was the most physically demanding section of the triathlon," he said.

However, despite the difficulties, Jonathan is hoping the challenge will become an annual event.

The money raised - as yet unknown - will go towards providing ICT lessons for pupils at Uganda's Buhemba School, which is linked to the college.

Jonathan visited the school last year and noticed that computers previously donated by the college were still in their boxes in the headteacher's room.

With no electricity, running the equipment had proved impossible.

So the money raised will go towards fuelling a generator so the computers can be finally switched on.

"I want to say a big thank you to all the people who have sponsored me and especially for the support from staff from the college," said Jonathan.