DON'T accuse this group of fundraisers of getting their feathers ruffled!
The Pennine Marathon Racing Club has now raised £10,000 for charity since it started.
And it has grown from an original dedicated six pigeon fanciers to about 34 men and women ranging in age from just 16 to 75 years.
And the secret of a pigeon's success?
It has to be sex!
Having an attractive hen in the loft awaiting their return after a journey of up to 700 miles from the continent, is the secret.
Gary Codd, of Shelley Close, Penistone, who is among the original founders, explained: "It depends on the wind and the weather, but they usually return the same day.
"The hen's the incentive in the loft, it's very emotional when they return. It brings a tear to my eye."
The long distance racing club was founded in 1996.
After two of its founders David Walker and Keith Littlewood were lost to cancer, it raised more than £1,000 for the chemotherapy unit at Barnsley District General Hospital.
The annual charity pigeon race from Salisbury this August raised £1,560 for the Huntington's Disease Society.
The club, which is part of the National Flying Club was awarded the title of Royal Pigeon Racing Association Club of the Year in 2003.
The racing season starts in April and runs until September with fundraising throughout the winter.
Six long distance races are held each season for birds of different ages and as many as 10,000 birds nationwide can take part in one race.
Races are over 300, 400, 500 and 700 mile distances with pigeons reaching speeds of about 45mph.
The club holds fundraising events at The Wentworth pub in Emley and is based at the Rose and Crown pub in Penistone.
