Forget the Tour de France or even the Tour de Yorkshire, the bike ride making all the headlines last month was the Tour de Euroglaze.
Staff, customers and suppliers at the Barnsley based trade fabricator completed a 1600km virtual bike ride covering the equivalent distance from Lands End to John o’Groats. They even added on an extra 100km when they reached the finish line so that they could head to a virtual pub for a well deserved drink! It was all in aid of Retina UK, which Euroglaze has adopted as its chosen charity in its 40th anniversary year and helped to raise around £1500.
The bike was set up in the Euroglaze canteen for the whole of last month, with the staff dividing themselves into evenly matched teams to take part in a series of weekly time, distance and sponsorship challenges to help clock up the miles. The most fiercely fought was the 12km ‘time trial’, with Managing Director Martin Nettleton throwing down the gauntlet with a time of 19.04 only to be beaten by three members of his own team, including the eventual winner Dale Brettoner with a stunning time of 16.10.
Martin was impressed with the enthusiasm and commitment of everyone who took part: “All the staff were keen to get involved – especially once we added in the element of competition! Visitors were invited to take part too and some days the pedals were spinning the whole time.”
Martin Hitchin and Barry Gilligan, the CEO and Sales Director from REHAU, which has been Euroglaze’s systems supplier for 35 years, were amongst the willing volunteers who took to the saddle – each contributing valuable kms towards the eventual total.
Martin Nettleton added: “We’ve set ourselves a target of raising £10,000 for Retina UK which supports people who have the same inherited sight loss as my brother and me, and we’ve made a great start. As people would expect from Euroglaze, it’s a real cooperative team effort and we’re using all our creativity and powers of persuasion to come up with new fundraising ideas and bring in the much needed sponsorship.”
Donations to Euroglaze’s fundraising effort can be made via www.justgiving.com/fundraising/euroglaze-ltd1
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