Five cyclists rode 200 miles from Axminster to London and smashed their fund-raising target for The Furniture Makers’ Company’s Step 2 It campaign.
The five riders braved the elements over three days and finally raised almost £12,000 for the new 12-month Step 2 It campaign, which aims support those in the trade struggling with financial hardship.
The original fund-raising target was £7,500, which was upped to £10,000 just prior to the challenge, but the five riders surpassed that goal by raising a total of £11,800.
The ride was organised by the charity’s South West Region.
The riders were Ben Burbidge (MD, Burbidge & Son), Hayden Davies (a consultant and former director of BM Trada), Alan Styles (MD, Axminster Tools) and Paul von der Heyde (former chairman of the British Furniture Confederation and now a consultant) and his friend and experienced long-distance cyclist Peter Hooper, with David Dewing (former director of the Geffrye Museum in Shoreditch, now retired) driving the support van.
Burbidge, Davies, von der Heyde and Dewing are all past Masters of the Furniture Makers’ Company.
The ride started in Axminster on Friday, June 18, and finished at Furniture Makers’ Hall in London on Sunday, June 20.
Commenting on the achievement, current Master David Woodward (pictured third from left) said: “It was a great pleasure to be at the hall to welcome and congratulate the gallant cyclists on their record-breaking achievement. Their magnificent contribution to the Step 2 It campaign will enable the charity to reach out to more industry colleagues who need our support. I hope it inspires others to support the campaign by donating or organising their own event.”
The Step 2 It campaign aims to inspire companies and individuals in the UK furniture industry to organise sports-based events to hep raise £250,000 for the charity and runs until April 2022.
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