Member Article

Warm Up North’s Scott raring to ride from World Wonder to Big Apple

A NORTH EAST energy scheme advisor who has raised over £20,000 for charity is gearing up for his latest challenge that will see him cycle over 380 miles across America.

27-year-old Scott Rendles, a Warm Up North customer service advisor, will cycle from Niagara Falls to New York City over six days in aid of homeless charity Shelter.

Scott from North Shields said: “I initially got into charity work back in 2012 when I completed the Bike Britain nine day cycle from Scotland to London. Individually I raised £3,500 and the event as a whole managed to raise £750,000 which was unbelievable.

“After going on to raise over £17,000 for Shelter in 2013 after cycling from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea, I learnt a lot more about the help and support Shelter offers to individuals and families across the UK. It’s hard to imagine finding yourself in a situation where your home is at risk and it could realistically happen to anyone at any time and I wanted to do more to help.”

Scott will complete the challenge in June 2015 along with a group of seven friends and they aim to raise a total of £28,000 by next April for Warm Up North’s chosen charity, Shelter.

Scott added: “This latest challenge will be mentally and physically draining with a lot more hills and dips along the planned route. I’m looking forward to seeing the sights of New York and to visiting one of the wonders of the world on two wheels.

“I’m generally fit and play rugby but cycling is a different type of training, so I’ve been making the most of the good weather and getting out as much as possible.”

Members of the Warm Up North team will be helping to support Scott in the coming months with his fundraising efforts through a series of charity events, including supermarket bag packs, cake sales and a charity night.

Ian Weatherston, head of Warm Up North, added: “Fundraising is a huge part of any charity activity and it takes a lot of time and effort to gather the donations needed to really make an impact. Shelter is an amazing cause that deserves as much help as it can get, and as an organisation Warm Up North is committed to helping our staff, like Scott, as they embark on charity challenges in aid of causes that are close to their hearts.”

Endorsed by nine local authorities, the Warm Up North scheme, enables eligible residents in the North East to benefit from funded or part-funded energy efficiency measures, including insulation, new ‘A-rated’ boilers, and boiler repairs, to help make their homes more efficient and reduce energy consumption.

Warm Up North now also offers homeowners the opportunity to have solar panels installed by British Gas. Warm Up North energy experts will recommend a system tailored to customer requirements and budget, with prices for solar panels starting at under £4,500.

For more information on the scheme, call the Warm Up North team on 0800 294 8073 or visit www.warmupnorth.com.

For more information on Scott’s journey or to make a donation visit www.justgiving.com/Scott-Rendles. Find out more about Shelter at www.shelter.co.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Warm Up North .