Big-hearted BT staff Stand Up To Cancer

Big-hearted BT staff from Inverness, Thurso and Glasgow swapped their offices for the open road this week – all for a wheelie good cause.

BT engineer Alec McKinnon from Inverness and helpdesk analyst Tim Ellis from Thurso are among a 100-strong team of employees cycling around 175 miles over three days to raise money for Stand Up To Cancer. They left BT’s offices in Solihull on Tuesday and will complete their cycle to Oxford, through the Cotswolds and back to Birmingham today (Thursday).

Around 130 miles away, 10 other colleagues, including Glasgow HR manager Alison Brice and George Barr, head of service design and strategy, will be tackling a 100-mile trek along part of the historic Offa’s Dyke path, which marks the boundary between England and Wales, ending in Powys tomorrow (Friday).

The fund-raisers, who hope to raise £80,000 for Stand Up To Cancer, all work for BT’s Business and Public Sector division, which provides national sales and account management to large and medium-sized organisations around the UK.

Alec, a keen cyclist who warmed up for the ride by taking part in the amateur stages of the Tour De France this summer, is hoping that the cycle will be a little less painful than his last SU2C challenge – a bout in the boxing ring after eight weeks of training last year!

The dad-to-be – whose wife Rita is expecting their first child in November – said: “When the opportunity came up to take part in the challenge I jumped at it. It’s a chance to meet colleagues from all over the UK who share my love of cycling, while getting fit and raising money for a really worthwhile charity.”

Tim, who only took up cycling in his early 40s and now clocks up around 100 miles a week, has raised more than £2500 in sponsorship for SU2C. He said: “This cycle is quite a challenge but it’s for a fantastic cause. It also means I get to meet colleagues I usually only work with remotely – but I’m not looking forward to the aching muscles at the end!”

Tim is also planning to complete a 108-mile cycle between Alness and Thurso with BT colleagues early next month in aid of the Highland Hospice.

Anyone interested in supporting the fundraisers can do so at:

https://mydonate.bt.com/teams/tourdebt2017

https://mydonate.bt.com/teams/btcorporatealongwalk2017

Rachel Carr, head of Stand Up To Cancer, said: “We’d like to thank all at BT for taking part in this incredible event, trekking or cycling up to 175 miles across the country. It’s this kind of support and energy that we need to help take cancer down. We’ve made amazing progress in the fight against cancer over the last few decades, but one in two of us will still develop cancer in our lifetime, so we really can’t afford to stand still. This is why supporting Stand Up To Cancer is so important. All the money raised will go towards funding vital research to get game-changing treatments to patients faster and save lives.”

It’s the second year running BT staff have organised a sponsored walk and cycle ride. Similar events last year raised around £70,000 for BBC Children in Need.