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A marathon 24-hour long “never-been-done” good deeds event has been hailed a huge success following its completion last week.

Organised by fundraiser Atiq Rehman, Good Deeds 24 saw a coach full of 45 enthusiastic volunteers travelling from London to Peterborough, helping people along the way.

The event started at 8pm on November 3, when the team journeyed to London to spend the whole night feeding homeless people across the capital.

A full coach of 45 volunteers spent a full day spreading positivity, goodwill, aid and hugs far and wide.

By 8am the following day, the dedicated team had returned to our region, delivering aid, support, donations and plenty of hugs to schools, hospitals and animal rescue shelters. Random acts of kindness were par for the course, too.

“We were standing outside Morrisons giving out roses to old people,” Atiq said: “and then we went inside and paid for people’s shopping - just because we know people are struggling.”

The mammoth day-long event ended at 8pm on November 4 when the team met up with fitness instructors from Peterborough’s Workout Hub in the city centre. They had spent the day cycling the distance from London to Peterborough on exercise bikes, raising £500 for orphans in the name of Good Deeds 24.

Atiq explained how the team felt at the end of their gruelling 24-hour challenge:

Atiq Rehman (L) and his team of "amazing" volunteers did a full day of good deeds from London to Peterborough

“We were battered but we never gave up.

“It was emotional [at the end] - I started crying.”

Atiq told the Peterborough Telegraph that he first had the idea for the project while sitting in a jacuzzi with his friend.

“We wanted to do something,” he said, “because at the moment, it’s a very selfish world out there.

fitness instructors from Peterborough’s Workout Hub spent the day cycling the distance from London to Peterborough on exercise bikes, raising £500 for orphans in the name of Good Deeds 24.

He added “my main aim for this was just to unite people.”

The motivational speaker got the ball rolling on his new idea by taking to social media and asking people for donations

“The community of Peterborough was so generous,” he said: “they were giving us money, they were giving us toys, they were giving us ideas and facilities.”

Lifelong Peterborough resident Atiq was keen to emphasise that Good Deeds 24 was a true team effort:

“If it wasn’t for my team there would have been no Good Deeds 24,” he said. “These people deserve all the credit in the world.”

‘My main aim was to unite people’: team of Peterborough volunteers carry out good deeds for 24 hours