Wincanton has raised more than £65,000 for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and Transaid, following the Big Event 2016, which saw Wincanton employees cycle 999 miles between Land’s End and John O’Groats.
Adrian Colman, CEO of Wincanton, commented:
“We wanted to do something really special to celebrate Wincanton’s 90th anniversary. Taking on the legendary Land’s End to John O’Groats challenge ticked all the boxes because it’s about fitness, it’s about fun and it’s about raising money for two great charities close to our hearts. Raising over £65,000 for these charities is a fantastic result. Our colleagues all over the country have worked hard to support not only the cyclists and the event, but also organising fundraising events across many of our sites. We know the money raised will make a real difference to both charities.”
“We’re so proud of our 99 team members, who geared up and courageously embraced the Wincanton Big Event 2016. It was a great opportunity for Wincanton colleagues all over the country to get involved, in whatever way, in a heart healthy event, which had the added benefit of actively supporting the wellbeing of our colleagues as well as encouraging a heightened awareness of cyclists as vulnerable road users.”
The business has been supported by its customers and suppliers, Halfords, Renault, Argos, Adidas, Homebase, Screwfix and Arnold Clark, who donated spares, equipment, supplies, transport and fundraising raffle prizes, as well as their time and energy.
The money raised will be equally split between the two chosen charities, to support their ongoing initiatives.
Alison Adams, Fundraising Manager at the BHF, the UK’s national heart charity, said:
“We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who donated and especially those who took part in the Lands’ End to John O’Groats cycle ride, what a huge challenge and an amazing achievement.
“Heart disease is an urgent problem. Too many lives are lost to heart and circulatory conditions each year, and the money raised from this event will play a crucial role in helping us find new ways to help keep more hearts beating. Around 7 million people are currently living with cardiovascular disease in the UK and the funds raised by Wincanton will help support the BHF’s research into preventing and treating these devastating conditions”.
Transaid aims to improve access to basic services and economic opportunity for poor people in developing countries through transport-based solutions, including bikes and training for community health workers and training drivers for both emergency and commercial roles.
Gary Forster, CEO of Transaid said:
“Every year 1.3 million people die in road accidents across the world, of which 90 per cent takes place in developing countries. In order for Transaid to keep improving road safety in Africa it is vital that we can work with companies such as Wincanton.
“We are extremely grateful to the company for its continued support and to all of the brave employees undertaking the gruelling challenge of cycling 999 miles over 12 days.”
ENDS
