Pedal the Borders initiative raises vital funds
INDUSTRY charity GroceryAid has managed to raise more than £210,000 as part of its ‘Pedal the Borders’ three-day cycling challenge.
More than 80 industry riders took part in the event, which took place between 15-17 July, and covered more than 200 miles of terrain, including climbing over 11,000ft to raise funds for the charity’s vital work.
The money raised will go on to provide financial, emotional and practical services for members working across the sector, ensuring that grocery colleagues receive the help they have earned when it is most needed.
This year, the ‘Pedal the Borders’ challenge welcomed its first all-female team ‘The Speed Divas’ to help mark a milestone entry into the challenge. The team included GroceryAid’s Megan Harrison, Amanda Bessant from Tropicana, Heather Kennedy from Nestlé, Lynsey Beat for Thistle Seafoods, Martha Browne at The Bart Ingredient Company as well as Wild Card PR’s Georgia Upton.
This year also marked the 10th time that Booker’s Andrew Thompson took part in the event – who made up a part of the Booker, Tesco, Londis and Dunnhumby colleagues team.
The event also saw sponsor and partner brands line the route with food and drink pit stops to help keep riders fuelled, including headline sponsor Whitworths.
GroceryAid has also confirmed its ‘Pedal the Borders’ event will return next year and will take place across Wednesday 7 July to Friday 9 July. For more information on this and to take part, you can visit the GroceryAid Event page here.
Kieran Hemsworth, chief executive at GroceryAid, said: “Pedal the Borders sees colleagues from every corner of the industry rally to raise vital funds for deserving grocery workers and their families.
“The need for our services has never been greater, meaning our fundraising initiatives are critical to ensuring we can meet rising demand and continue providing life-changing support whenever it’s needed.
“While some riders are seasoned cyclists, others were new to the event and had never pedalled more than 50km in training. It shows how formidable all teams were to conquer the hills. As we say, it’s a testament to the strength and unity of our industry. A huge thank you to everyone who took part, sponsored and supported us along the way.”
