Clearview National July 2019 - Issue 212 | Page 16

INDUSTRYNEWS
Following the recent GM Fundraising Cycling Challenge, ‘From Russia
With Hope’, Gary Morton, founder of GM Fundraising, discusses
the epic challenge the team undertook and the decision behind
the announcement that this will be the very last ride…
‘From Russia With Hope’
– saving the best till last
Last September, the National Cycling Centre in Manchester
played host to the launch of GM Fundraising’s final cycling
challenge, ‘From Russia With Hope’. The team, many of
whom are GMF cycling veterans, gathered to learn the
extent of the challenge they had so willingly signed up to.
FROM RUSSIA WITH HOPE
Taking place in June 2019, ‘From Russia
With Hope’, sponsored by Brisant Secure,
saw an all-male cycling team ride through
10 countries in 12 days, ending up at Hope
House Children’s Hospice, the very people
they are fundraising for. The total tally is
2,730 miles with 34,000 ft of climbing.
Gary explains more about the challenge:
“The route covers in excess of 280 miles
each day as they cycle from St Petersburg,
Russia, through Finland, into the Arctic
Circle, through Sweden, Denmark, Germany,
Holland, Belgium, France, England and
16 » JUL 2019 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
Wales, before returning into England and
their final destination of Hope House in
Oswestry. While the amount of climbing
seems meek compared to some of our
previous rides, the reality is that 70% of this
took place in the last two days as the team
cycle through England and Wales - anyone
who has ridden the Shropshire hills will
know this is a challenge in itself. As with all
GM Fundraising events, every person taking
part covers their own costs, so every penny
raised will go directly Hope House to support
their care of life-limited children and their
families.
MAKING IT POSSIBLE
“These rides would not be possible without
the headline sponsor, and we are delighted
that Nick Dutton & Steve Stewart from
Brisant Secure have committed support to us
in this challenge.”
Nick Dutton, MD of Brisant Secure
comments: “To our mind GM Fundraising is
very much the ‘industry’s charity’ and we have
long supported their efforts to raise money to
support those less fortunate than ourselves.
For this reason, we previously donated £5,000
to celebrate the success of our 5,000-hour
salt water testing on Lock Lock. This in turn
led to a conversation with the team about the
opportunity to support ‘From Russia With
Hope’. We jumped at the chance to support
such an epic challenge, particularly as it was
the last one and really enjoyed promoting and
participating, and helping the team achieve
their fundraising targets.”