Greene King staff embark on ‘relentless’ charity cycle
A group of 19 team members from the pubco will cycle 420 miles from its Bury St Edmunds’ headquarters to its Belhaven Brewery on the east coast of Scotland.
The team set off yesterday (10 September 2019) and will arrive at the end of the week, with stops on the way including in York and Newcastle.
The ‘ultimate brewery tour’ is in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support, a charity the pubco has raised £6m for since 2012.
GK financial director Jeff Addison is one of those embarking on the challenge after experiencing cancer himself.
He said: “Cancer wasn’t something I expected to get and only after being diagnosed did it sink in that we are all at risk.
“Having been through the cancer journey and lucky enough to recover from it, I want to give something back, whether that be through raising funds towards prevention and care, promoting awareness of symptoms or talking to people about the journey, it’s important that everyone is given support when they need it."
Unique and special
Greene King chief executive Nick Mackenzie spoke of his pride at the team members on the challenge.
He said: “[Cycling] 420 miles in four days is going to be pretty relentless. While I’m sure there will be testing times during the ride, the team has a great spirit and I know they’ll support each other.
“Our employees across the country take on all sorts of fundraising challenges for Macmillan but this is unique and special – cycling from our brewery in Bury St Edmunds to our brewery in Dunbar.
“I look forward to raising a glass of our beer and congratulating them on their success.”
The company ultimately raised more than £700,000 for Macmillan grants, one-off payments to help people cope with the financial impact of cancer, from its annual ‘Macmillan May’ fundraising push earlier this year.
