BIKE BATH CELEBRATES 7 YEARS OF SPORTIVE SUCCESS
Cycling experts Iconic Cycling Events ( ICE ) hosted a VIP reception for key partners and supported charities to officially launch popular annual cycling sportive , Bike Bath .
Held at Graze , Bath on April 24 , the event which is championed by Redrow Homes , celebrated the seventh Bike Bath and was attended by long standing key partners including Hawke Ridge Business Park and Carter Jonas , as well as triathlete Heather Fell and skeleton racer Amy Williams . Guests enjoyed regional cheeses from around the UK – Barbers Cheddar , Oxford Blue , and Yorkshire Wensleydale – a feature at all this year ’ s ICE events .
This year ’ s Bike Bath , taking place on Sunday July 1 , is once again raising money for local hospice , Dorothy House Hospice Care . The event will start and end at the Rec in the heart of Bath . Riders will have the choice of three new rides this year – the 25-mile social , or the 50 or 80-mile challenge . Riders will also enjoy some of the region ’ s finest food and drink at food stations along the routes and a celebratory pint of Bath Ale at the finish .
Bike Bath has grown year on year and last year attracted more than 1,500 riders from across the region . The event is fully supported , and features food stops and route signs , as well as mechanical support .
Established in 1976 , Dorothy House Hospice Care provides free palliative and end of life care and support to people with a life-limiting illness , their families and carers across Bath and North East Somerset , Wiltshire and Somerset .
Henrietta Beard , Corporate Fundraiser at Dorothy House Hospice Care said : “ Our thanks to Bike Bath for raising significant funds for the hospice in recent years , it is greatly appreciated and will help Dorothy House continue to provide specialist care for local people living with a life-limiting illness .
Good luck to the team for another successful event in July .”
Richard Best , CEO of Iconic Cycling Events , said : “ Without the help of the partners and supporters of Bike Bath , we couldn ’ t put on such a professional and highly-regarded sportive so we wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supports us . I ’ d like to thank everyone who attended the event to help us celebrate cycling and make the launch such a success .”
Entry is £ 36 per ride for the 80 and 50-mile rides or £ 26 for the 25-mile ride . New to 2018 is a family entry for the 25-mile route at £ 70 for two adults and two children under 16 . For more information and to register visit the website : www . bikebath . co . uk To keep up with the action on social media follow @ BikeBath on Facebook and @ bikebath on Twitter . To find out more about Dorothy House visit www . dorothyhouse . org . uk
Organising a summer party ?
If you ’ re looking to host a summer party or event Bath ’ s Assembly Rooms has put together a special offer to whet your appetite .
This summer the spacious Card Room and south facing garden can be all yours for the evening for just £ 600 . You will be catered for by esteemed caterers Searcys , offering dining packages from £ 25- perfect for an evening rendez-vous after work , an impressive birthday party or an anniversary celebration .
Sample menu for £ 25 per head :
Glass of Pimms No . 1 on arrival Bowl Food per person :
• Maize fed chicken marinated with tomato , chorizo and rice
• Magrim sole goujons with hand-cut chips and tartare sauce
• Penne pasta with peas , tarragon and parmesan shavings
• Mini pavlova with strawberry fool
• Rich chocolate pot with orange confit
To find out more and to book call 01225 477786 or email : bath _ venues @ bathnes . gov . uk
Bath Tourism
Leslie Redwood , Head of Business Development and Partnerships at VisitBath gives us his update on current projects and initiatives for Bath and its surrounds .
As we move into another beautiful summer season in Bath ( hopefully !), Visit Bath has some exciting news in the spirit of summertime success , prosperity and growth .
Working with our national and international partners Visit England and Visit Britain we have been lobbying the Government departments of Digital , Culture , Media and Sport ( DCMS ) and Business , Energy and Industrial Strategy ( BEIS ) for more direct support of the visitor economy in The West of England . This included a meeting organised by Visit Bath at the Houses of Parliament . This has started to yield success with a recent follow-up meeting at Visit Bath HQ with DCMS , Visit England and an extremely supportive Mayor of The West of England , Tim Bowles . This , in turn , is tying in with national discussions around the government ’ s Industrial Strategy and a possible settlement for the visitor economy sector across the country . It is becoming even more important for our industry to secure central government support , as all the local authorities have cut back on any direct support they are able to give . These strategic discussions are vital to the success of our economy , especially in Bath and the surrounds where tourism is such a key industry .
On a more local level the substantial change and great progress continues at Visit Bath HQ . Our new head of marketing , Neil Priscott , is busy delivering eight new marketing campaigns as part of our renewed marketing strategy , all supported by a new digital team under Charlotte Stephens . This includes a brand-new website and much enhanced social media activity .
Our events team are also busy planning another year of our national award-winning Christmas Market , as well as working on two new major citywide events for Bath and region . Our recent Comedy Festival partnership delivered the biggest and most successful Comedy Festival in the last ten years .
The Visit Bath memberships team continues to thrive with many increased membership benefits , networking events and development of strong partnerships across the city and region . And finally , our new Visitor Centre and Bath Box Office continue to trade strongly in our new location on Terrace Walk , with our new ways of working delivering increasing success for these operations . All in all , a great summer success story for Bath- long may it continue .
For more info : www . visitbath . co . uk
@ VisitBath Leslie _ Redwood @ bathtourism . co . uk
32 THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2018