Luton bankers cycle coast to coast for charities

Thirteen of the bank’s staff took on the challenge over three days, completing the 425km cycle in 21 hours 50 minutes.

The team raised a total of £12,800 during the event for Age UK and Barnardo’s, Santander UK’s chosen charity partners, who have been supported by the bank via a number of initiatives since January 2016. Further activity in the fortnight included two ‘It’s a Knockout’ events, an 84-mile walk across Hadrian’s Wall and a 750km bike ride from Newcastle to Bootle, as well as a number of fundraising activities in branches across the UK.

Ben Covey, divisional manager at Santander UK, commented: “We’ve had a great time raising money and awareness for Santander’s charity partners. It was a tough but enjoyable ride, and we hope this will only encourage people to donate more to these two great causes.”

Hannorah Lee, head of corporate partnerships at Age UK, said: “This coast to coast cycle is a massive challenge and we thank all the Santander employees who took part, as well as those who supported them on the way. The money raised for Age UK will help us to provide vital support and companionship to older people across the country; people who might otherwise have no one to turn to.”

Head of corporate fundraising at Barnardo’s, Forbes Mutch, said: “A massive thank you to everyone taking part in this fundraising cycle. Every young person wants to have the chance to reach the top, which is why our work is so important helping disadvantaged young people have the confidence and skills to get back into employment.”

Following an all-staff vote, Age UK and Barnardo’s were selected to form a collaborative partnership with the bank as part of its community investment strategy, The Discovery Project.

Over the course of 2017 Santander is supporting a host of fundraising activities for the two charities, including a “Store Wars” initiative, an International Challenge, and a number of branch and staff events. The bank aims to provide funding of up to £1.5m for each charity over the course of three years through a combined fundraising and grant programme.