Pedaling For Inclusion

When Nigel Read heard that Coors Brewers had adopted the UK’s leading learning disability charity, Mencap, as its philanthropic focus, he knew he had to somehow link his cycling habit to the charity. “I’d been cycling on the weekends for the past eight years with friends, and we’d been signing up for longer and longer events in order to have some fitness targets,” says Nigel. In order to raise funds for both Mencap and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Nigel and his friends Alistair Tilley, Kevin Brownsey and Neale Lewis decided to embark on their longest ride to-date, a journey from one end of the UK to the other: from John O’Groats in Scotland to Lands End in Cornwall.

The group completed the ride in only 10 days, averaging approximately 100 miles per day. “We didn’t know we were setting out to ride through the wettest June on record in the UK,” remembers Nigel, “but we were blessed with great weather – only one day of rain the whole trip.” Although the group completed the trip on June 23rd, donations continue to stream in, reaching nearly £10,000 (US$ 20,240). “We’re all glad to be able to help Mencap and NSPCC through our cycling,” says Nigel. “We all have children ourselves, and just couldn’t abide by seeing them mistreated or isolated.”

According to Andrew Hadley (National Account Director), who heads up the Coors program with Mencap, “we were hopeful that we’d have strong employee participation in organized events, but didn’t quite expect that several individuals like Nigel would take it upon themselves to do additional fundraising work for Mencap.”

Nigel’s group is one of many activities which Coors Brewers employees have undertaken to benefit Mencap. During the Coors Charity Challenge in Burton in June, 1 4 teams competed for top fundraising status through multiple recreational events like static bicycle racing, washing cars, balloon and duck races.

For more information, please visit: www.mencap.org.uk.