Eight Bristol accountants have signed up for the mammoth task of cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats this September to raise money for Paralympics Games – the national charity which prepares British athletes for each Paralympic Games.
The intrepid group, who all work for Deloitte, will be in the saddle for nine days covering nearly 1,000 miles of varied and challenging terrain.
The team hopes that their efforts in the third Deloitte Ride Across Britain will raise more than £20,000 for the British Paralympic Association.
The ride has become a landmark annual event for the business advisory firm which is the official professional services partner for the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games.
Deloitte Bristol partner Richard Hawes, who will be leading the team from the front, believes that with the support of the local business community they can reach their ambitious fundraising goal.
“There’s a long way to go to reach our target, so we’re encouraging as many people as we can to sponsor us and support the fantastic work of ParalympicsGB,” he said.
“Many of the team have completed the challenge in previous years so, knowing what’s ahead of us, we could be considered a little crazy. But we’ve got so much support from families, friends and colleagues that we’re running off a spirit of positivity.”
Over the past two years the ride, which attracts round 700 participants, has raised more than £750,000 for the British Paralympic Association and with this year’s fundraising is on target to raise more than £1m by 2013.
ParalympicsGB was chosen because it fits with Deloitte Disability Sport, a programme that aims to get disabled people active, competing and winning in sport.
The Bristol team includes Richard Hawes, Andrew Jones, Jo Cockerell, Will Musson, Rachel Shaw, Ross Bradley, Alice Bennett, Ian Howse, Emma Drew, Thomas Kelland, Andrew Roughan and Louisa Smith.
Anyone wishing to donate should go to: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/DeloitteRAB-SWW2012
