Footballers, managers, bakers, designers and hordes of others across the borough have stepped up to be drenched in freezing cold water for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, and among those joining in the fun were Reading Football Club players.

Jake Taylor, Anton Ferdinand, Simon Cox, Adam Federici and Stephen Kelly all volunteered after a training session this week, with two of them facing the wrath of manager Nigel Adkins by nominating him.

Players and Mr Adkins went on to put a variety of names forward, including sports journalist Jeff Stelling and Roy Keane.

Warings Bakery also got involved, with public relations manager Daniel Carr completing the challenge after being nominated by Berkshire Media Group’s business relationship manager Becca Sowten. Mr Carr said: “I was nominated as a 40th birthday gift!”

Helen Waring, from Cream Design, braved the bucket of icy water near her office in Cross Street before passing the baton to a number of others, including Ian Caren, the CEO at Reading homeless charity Launchpad.

A host of celebrities have also taken on the challenge, with Victoria Beckham, Benedict Cumberbatch and Kermit The Frog helping to raise cash for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

The viral campaign began in America and has helped raise more than £48m for the charity.

A statement on the Motor Neurone Disease Association website reads: “The response has been truly phenomenal and is still continuing, raising an unprecedented amount of money that will have a huge impact on the work we can do on this poorly understood but devastating disease and also raising awareness across the UK and the world.”