The weekend of 26 – 27 June will see members of staff from The Veka UK Group take to two wheels to raise funds for the company’s nominated charity, The Encephalitis Society.
The cyclists’ route will cover 100 miles of beautiful Wiltshire countryside over the two days, passing landmarks such as the Avebury Stone Circle, Stonehenge and the Wiltshire White Horses.
The Veka UK Group chose to support The Encephalitis Society after Mark Barsby, head of technical, was diagnosed with an autoimmune form of limbic encephalitis last year. He – in discussion with head of commercial sales, Richard Garland and head of product management, Steve Bakewell – planned the challenge as part of the company’s year-long fundraising programme for the charity.
Mark explained: “I wanted to do my bit and put something back for the help The Encephalitis Society had given me. Steve gave us some ideas as he had already taken part in similar events to raise money for charity.
“I decided to make some changes to my diet and exercise more when I came out of hospital. As part of my goal, however, I’ve promised myself an ice cold beer and a hot sausage roll on completion of the second day as they’re probably the two things I’ve missed the most!”
The intrepid trio hope that a further two Veka cyclists will join them on the ride, which will see them rewarded with a well-earned barbecue at the end of day one.
Colin Torley, sales and marketing director for The Veka UK Group commented: “What a great way to raise funds and awareness for The Encephalitis Society! 100 miles over two days, under their own steam, will be an admirable achievement for all taking part. It’s a beautiful part of the world to tour – let’s just hope the weather holds up!
“The support Mark received from The Encephalitis Society made it an obvious candidate for our support. We normally work with charities for six-month periods but this cause is so close to our hearts that, in this case, we decided to dedicate a full year’s support.
“Everybody has really gotten behind it including four of our management team, raising funds by running the Great Manchester 10k, and there’s loads more planned throughout the year.”
If you would like to sponsor Mark and the team in their cycling challenge, visit www.justgiving.com/anything-is-possible and, to learn more about encephalitis and the work of The Encephalitis Society, visit www.encephalitis.info
