Publish date: 17 July 2023
Contractors cycle 200km from coast-to-coast to raise funds
Building contractors from IHP and Identity Consult completed the 200km C2C cycle from Whitehaven to Tynemouth, to raise funds for Bright Northumbria charity.
To improve the hospital facilities at Hexham General Hospital, the contractors have been undertaking refurbishment works on the maternity, endoscopy, oncology, and dental departments. They saw this as an excellent opportunity to support the charity and give back to the hospital, saying thank you to all the patients and staff they had encountered.
The cyclists were all locals, from Northumberland and North Tyneside. This made the challenge even more special and heartfelt to them, as not only were they fundraising for a local hospital, but this also meant that they would be helping their local communities.
The names of the participants were Andrew Maxwell, David Gendall, Paul Barrowcliffe, Marc Heaps, Dan Lucker, Simon Allan, Sam Dodd and Connor Young.
Their journey began at Whitehaven, Cumbria where they cycled across the scenic Lake District before stopping at one of England’s highest villages, Nenthead. After a good night’s rest, they continued up to Allendale, and then stopped to visit Hexham General Hospital, where they received a warm welcome from the hospital and ward staff to show appreciation for their hard work. Shortly after, they followed the River Tyne over to Tynemouth, where they completed their adventure.
Andrew said, “Seeing everyone at Hexham was fantastic. It gave us that extra motivation that we needed to get over the finish line. It was certainly the most rewarding moment of the entire ride.
“Whilst working with the trust to improve the hospital, we were looking for another way to contribute and thank everybody. Gladly, we found that opportunity. The support that we’ve had from Northumbria Healthcare, other businesses, and our friends and family has been outstanding. It made the journey worth it.”
Over the 2 days from June 15th-16th 2023, the group cycled for 19 hours in total, covering 125 miles.
Paul said, “It was extremely difficult, especially the uphill climbs in the heat. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable and rewarding experience. I hope this motivates others to do their own fundraising activities. If I can do it, then anyone can do it!”
Amongst them, they raised a total of £3,766 for Bright Northumbria. Bright Northumbria is the charity of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust and provide support to the trust’s hospitals and community health services.
Brenda Longstaff, head of Bright charity said, “It’s absolutely amazing what these cyclists have done, and they should all be proud of their hard efforts. I hope they realise how significant their contributions will be in making a difference to our staff, patients, and community. I’d like to say a massive well done and thank you to them, on behalf of the Bright charity and Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust.”
To learn more about the charity and how you can get involved, please visit the Bright Northumbria website.
Media Contact:
Jesse Ngonyama, marketing assistant apprentice, Northumbria Healthcare