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PRO INSTALLER NOVEMBER 2016
PRO SPORT
@proinstaller1
WOMEN TAKE ON
TOUGH FUNDRAISER
GM Fundraising is well known
in the industry for its epic
cycling challenges and it has
just launched the next one.
Peak performance
from Mick
GMFP2P is a bit different - not
only is GM Fundraising introducing a paddle to its pedal, but this
event is exclusively for the ladies
of the industry. Paddle2Pedal will
take place in August next year. The
12 strong all-female team met at
headline sponsors Epwin Group’s
offices in Telford, for the launch.
“This is the first time GM Fundraising has organised a challenge
for females only,” said Gary Morton, chairman of GM Fundraising.
“Thanks to the efforts of headline
sponsors Epwin, we have recruited
a group of keen and competitive
ladies to take on this challenge,
which will see them canoe 100
miles and cycle around 120 miles,
with an abseil thrown in the middle.
“We are lucky that Epwin is also
providing the canoeing expertise
in the form of financial director,
Mike Bache. Myself and Alan
Sadler will be supporting the
team with the cycling leg.
“The team starts from Glasbury
on 20th August next year. Over
the next five days they will be averaging 20 miles a day in a canoe,
paddling down the wilds of the
River Wye. They will stop off at
Bredwardine, Hereford, Ross-onWye and Monmouth, before finally arriving in Chepstow on Day 5.
For those that are really keen to
take on the additional challenge
there is an abseil at Symonds Yat,
although this is optional.
“Day 6 will see the team commence the 120-mile cycling part
of the challenge, ending up at
Hope House Children’s Hospice in Oswestry on Day 7. The
children, for who this is all in
support of, will be welcoming us
home, making the perfect ending
to what is going to be a tremendous event.”
Mick Clayton, chief executive of training
organisation GQA Ltd, has completed the
Yorkshire Three Peaks and raised £1,230.
The money will go to Barnsley Hospice, and also to
Reds in the Community, a
charity delivering community
activities on behalf of Barnsley Football Club.
Mick completed the challenge for
the second year running. The walk
was organised by Barnsley Football Club, of which Mick is an avid
supporter, through Kuta Outdoors.
The Yorkshire Three Peaks takes
in Pen-y Ghent, Whernside and
Ingleborough and has some of the
UK’s most beautiful countryside,
encircling the head of the valley of
the River Ribble.
After improving his finishing
time on last year’s walk, Mick said:
“I completed the three peaks in 11
hours, an improvement of just under an hour on last year’s time. It
was a fantastic achievement as far
as I’m concerned, due to a recent
hamstring injury I’d sustained six
weeks before the event, which left
me with just four weeks to train.
“By the time I got to the second peak, however, I had severe
cramping but I was determined
Claire O’Hara, divisional managing director of Epwin, and
GMFP2P team member said: “I
have followed the previous challenges run by GM Fundraising
with interest, and have wanted to
do an all-female event for some
time. When we c ame up with the
concept of Paddle2Pedal I couldn’t
wait to get involved. I am grateful
to the support of Epwin Group,
who are completely behind their
three members of staff taking up
the challenge, and are also the
headline sponsor of the whole
event.
“The team from GM Fundraising
covered a very detailed plan at the
GMFP2P launch, as well as setting
a very comprehensive training
plan for us all to start on over the
winter. We will be hitting the water
in the spring, when hopefully the
temperature is a little warmer.”
Gary concluded: “Each member
of the team will be looking for
support to raise much-needed
funds for the children at Hope
House Children’s Hospice. The
team members are covering their
own costs for the event, so every
penny we raise will go directly to
the children.”
Meet the team via the website
www.gmfundraising.co.uk
and follow its progress on
social media with #GMFP2P or
#Paddle2Pedal
Cycling challenge raises record funds
to finish and raise the money for
such worthy causes. I’m dead
chuffed with myself for not stopping.”
GQA limited is a professional, award-winning organisation,
specialising in recognised qualifications covering the glass,
construction, coating and printing
industries. It provides training
advice, support and qualifications
to over 70 training centres and
businesses throughout the UK.
If you would like to support
Mick’s efforts, log on to his just
giving page www.justgiving.
com/fundraising/MichaelClayton3
GM Fundraising’s Border2Border cycling challenge held
in June this year has raised
record funds for Hope House
Children’s Hospice’s by beating all other previous events
organised over the last 20
years.
The team of 24 riders and support crew cycled from Canada
to Mexico over 11 days covering
2,111 miles and 94,600ft of climbing, with 864,000 calories burned
and 4,536,000 pedals turned
(cadence).
“All funds and pledges have now
been collected and we are absolutely delighted to announce that
the Border2Border challenge has
raised a phenomenal £195,766.92,”
said Gary Morton, chairman of
GM Fundraising and B2B team
member.
“All of this has come from the
hard work of everyone that took
part in the challenge and of
course, the support of our amazing industry. All the money raised
goes directly to Hope House Children’s Hospices.”
Andy Goldsmith, chief executive
of Hope House added: “The support we receive from GM Fundraising is critical. Hope House is
more than just a hospice. It’s a service and by providing support to
children with life-limiting illnesses
and their families, our aim is to
improve their quality of life in any
way possible.”