Over 70 cyclists, including staff from Investec Wealth & Investment and their guests, are participating in the ride which will cover all five Ashes Test grounds in five days in mid-July. The target is to raise £200,000 in total.
James Bedingfield, a senior investment director in the Sheffield office of Investec Wealth & Investment, who came up with the idea for the challenge, said: “It is so exciting to have reached the £100k mark and this gives us extra motivation to raise a further £100,000 for good causes over the next few weeks.
“We have had some fantastic support from across the country through individual fundraising efforts and events that have contributed to this total. We also have some great sporting celebrities who are taking part in the ride, which is going to make it even more memorable and exciting.”
The challenge will cover 340 miles over four and a half days to the five cricket grounds hosting this year’s Ashes tournament. The challenge starts at Chester-le-street Cricket Ground in Durham on July 13th and finishes at Lord’s on July 17th, the day before the 2nd Test match against Australia, visiting Old Trafford, Trent Bridge and the Oval on the way.
The target is to raise £200,000 to be split between the Lord’s Taverners Charity and a number of local charities around the country.
Cricket legend Mike Gatting OBE and TV celebrity diving judge Leon Taylor are taking part as are former England international cricketer Alan Lamb (Milton Keynes to Lords), internationally renowned tenor Sean Ruane, and three Ashes winning ladies Isa Guna, Ebony Rainford-Brent, and Caroline Atkins.
Participants in the cycle challenge represent eight offices of Investec Wealth & Investment across the country - Sheffield, London, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Liverpool, Guildford and Bournemouth, and also include guests from the ECB and Lord’s Taverners.
Charities being supported include the Sheffield Children’s Hospital, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Cancer Research, The Willow Trust, BASICS , Rainbow Hospice, Children’s Adventure Farm Trust (CAFT), Eden Valley Hospice (Carlisle), The One Foundation, The Teenage Cancer Trust, Pink Ribbon Foundation, Little Acorns, Royal British Legion, Meldreth Manor School, British Heart Foundation, Guildford Eye Hospital, Jesuit Missions, DRASACS, Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research, Sheffield United Community Fund, Parkinsons UK, Great Ormond Street and the Danny Porter Charity.
