Member Article

Seven day stint for Space Group cyclists

Two members of a national building information specialist company have taken on an epic cycling challenge, comparable to the Tour de France, in aid of a charity that lies close to their hearts.

Space Group, which has its headquarters in Gosforth, has given support to two avid cyclists from its workforce who have cycled from one end of Britain to the other, in just seven days.

Setting the pace for future charitable activities, Luke Westoe and Darren Purvis have completed a 900 mile stint from Land’s End to John O’Groats in Northern Scotland, raising a total of over £10,000 for Children with Cancer UK.

Honouring its promise to match each donation pound for pound, Space Group has helped Luke and Darren exceed their initial £5,000 fundraising target.

Darren said: “We’re so grateful to the businesses and individuals who have sponsored and supported us. We even met a number of other cyclists on our journey who were also raising money for charity – this was when we realised that being out on the road was worth every mile, niggle, ache and scrape to raise awareness and money for such a great cause.”

The rethinkRIDE pushed them to cover an average of 130 miles per day, accompanied by Space Group’s own BIM Store caravan and a Volkswagen supporter van provided by Benfield Motor Group.

Donning specially designed bike jerseys the duo kept a visual diary of their journey, uploading daily updates to their dedicated rethinkRIDE blog detailing their location and any daily challenges they were set to face.

Space Group CEO Rob Charlton said: “It’s a great achievement for the guys and everyone at Space is so proud. They have pushed themselves to extreme physical lengths and braved the elements, all in the name of a worthy cause – they should be proud of their performance.

“Over the years Space has supported a number of charities but this time was slightly different. We chose North East start up, givey.com, as the platform for donations because it allows people to support causes which really mean something to them on a personal level.”

The rethinkRIDE plays a part in a larger aim set out by Space Group and the companies it operates whereby its sole mission lies within making the world a better place for everyone.

The group rethink the rules of construction; leading in innovation, technology and sustainability, as proven in their ongoing bid to combat climate change and become as self-sufficient as possible in the next 12 months.

A record of the ride can be found at www.rethinkride.blogspot.co.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Space Group .