Member Article

Nathan’s Chairman Makes Tracks For Charity

Nicholas Radford, Chairman of the Nathan Furniture Group, is taking part in a charity bicycle ride on 11-16 September, from London to Bordeaux, along with 25 other keen cyclists.

This will be the first time that Nicholas has taken part in a charity bike ride. He and the rest of the cyclists will embark on their 470-mile journey in aid of The Furniture Makers’ Company charity. Setting off from the Guildhall in London, the gruelling route will take the group through the heart of France’s largest wine-growing region, arriving five days later in Bordeaux.

The Furniture Makers’ Company offers help and education to students, makers, retailers, designers, business owners and employees in the furnishings industry. The charity helps to nurture skills and expertise within the industry, offering bursaries and apprenticeships to those in school and higher education. The organisation also provides support and help to anyone whose career has been affected or put on hold by an accident or illness.

Nathan Furniture is celebrating 100 years of manufacturing quality cabinet and upholstery furniture this year. To mark the anniversary, the company used July’s Manchester Furniture Show as a platform to unveil new products, including the trinity Occasional Table – a modern take on one of Nathan’s original mid-century designs.

Taking part in the charity bike ride will be a wonderful way to create more memories for what has been a very successful year for Nathan Furniture.

All of the cyclists have set themselves personal targets, aiming to raise a minimum of £1,000 each for The Furniture Makers’ Company. Nick hopes to reach his own target of £5,000 and enjoy the physical challenge.

He commented: “I’m looking forward to the bike ride enormously. I have never done anything like this before, so it is a little daunting, but it is great to step out of your comfort zone once in a while to see what you are really capable of. It is hugely motivating to think what a great cause it is for – encouraging young talent and providing people with what they need order in to have a successful career within the furnishings industry.”

Ben Burbidge, master of The Furniture Makers’ Company said: “This is certainly a very challenging bike ride which will see us averaging around 78 miles a day. We hope to be waved off from the City of London by Christine Rigden, one of the Sheriffs of London, and pedal into Bordeaux to a civic reception in the wine-growing capital of France, having completed an incredible journey.”

The riders’ target is to raise a total of £15,000 for The Furniture Makers’ charity, a substantial amount that will benefit hundreds of people in the furnishings industry. Donations are greatly appreciated and can be made to Nick’s Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Nicholas-Radford1

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Kathryn Greenwood .