Member Article

ROOFING RACERS TAKE ON CHARITY CHALLENGE HADRIAN’S HIKE

Forty staff from pioneering roofing Burton based Russell Roof Tiles three factories are taking on a walking challenge with a difference, in a bid to raise £5,000 for charity.

Teams made up of staff from its Scottish and English factories are creating their own version of the famous battle of Bannockburn – this time the challenge is to race to a central point on Hadrian’s Wall. The Wall was the north-west frontier of the Roman empire for nearly 300 years, and runs for a total of 73 miles.

On 6th and 7th October a team from its Burton-on-Trent site (will start at Wallsend to the East) and a team from its Lockerbie site (will start at Bowness to the West) will race each other across the length of Hadrian’s Wall – in a bid to see who gets to the central point The Twice Brewed Inn first.

The aim is to raise much needed cash for the two nominated Blood Bikes charities Shropshire.Staffordshire.Cheshire Blood Bikes (SSBB) and Dumfries & Galloway Blood Bikes (D&GBB). Last year generous staff at the company raised an impressive £24,000, enabling both Blood Bikes charities to buy two much-needed new motorbikes.

Both are volunteer-led charities – who relay purely on donations to run their service, providing lifesaving medical supplies across NHS foundations, with the transportation of vital blood products, organs for transplant and other life-critical supplies for the younger generation, such as premature babies. This is where every minute counts in helping seriously ill and injured patients.

Team Captains for the Scottish team in Lockerbie are Regional Sales Director Alan Young and Operations Director Bruce Laidlaw, Captains of the English team from Burton are Area Sales Manager Michael Palmer and Gary Gough, Finance Manager. None of the staff have walked Hadrian’s Wall before.

Burton Team Leader Michael Palmer at Russell Roof Tiles commented: “This is a real challenge for our team – we’re not seasoned walkers but we’re all training hard to make sure we’re successful and raise as much money as possible for these great causes. Of course, we’ll also be pleased if we’re the winning side!”

Over the past 18 months RusseIls’ fundraising activities have included a sponsored weight loss, twin peaks challenge, family fun day, charity dancing competition, football matches, a charity golf day and a version of “superstars”.

SSBB is a 100% volunteer-led charity which has been providing life-saving deliveries of blood and other medical supplies to NHS Foundations across the region. The charity operates 24/7, relying solely on volunteers’ fundraising efforts and does not receive any government or local authority finance. Jeremy Cartwright, Chair of SSBB explained “We’re delighted with the ongoing support of Russell Roof Tiles staff, their generocity allows us to improve crucial services for the health and well-being of the people of Staffordshire and Shropshire.”

Andrew Hayward, Managing Director at Russell Roof Tiles comments, “All of our staff have worked incredibly hard for the charities and we are delighted that so many volunteers have come forward to take part in this challenge. May the best team win.”

To donate https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/rrt-hadrians-wall-challenge

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