Branston 2017 bike ride

Branston hosts an annual charity cycle ride 

Potato supplier Branston has raised over £15,000 for charities KIDS Lincolnshire, Alzheimer Scotland and The Beacon Centre at Musgrove Park Hospital.

Over 50 of the company’s staff, suppliers and customers, including managing director James Truscott, cycled either 100 or 50 miles in the charity ride.

The ride began at the Branston site in Lincolnshire, before tackling wet and windy conditions through the Lincolnshire countryside.

Truscott said: “Now in its third year, our charity cycle ride is bigger and better than ever – we’ve almost doubled the number of participants compared to last year and are so grateful for every donation that we receive for our chosen charities.

“A huge congratulations to all of the team members who took part and to our customers from Tesco, Waitrose, Samworth Brothers and Icelandic Seachill, as well as suppliers Optima Graphic Design, who pedalled with us.

“A special thank you must also go to friends, family, suppliers, customers and the public who supported us with donations and encouragement along the way.

“So far we’ve raised around £15,600, and it’s still coming in. It will be allocated to the fundraising pots for each of our sites’ chosen charities and Branston will top each of the totals up by an additional 50 per cent at the end of the year.”

Philip Greenwood, community fundraiser at KIDS Lincolnshire, said: “The support we receive from local businesses is absolutely essential in order for us to continue our work with children and young people with disabilities.

“Our after school and holiday clubs endeavour to provide a safe, supportive and, most of all, fun environment where the children can socialise, learn new skills and gain independence which is absolutely vital to their personal development.

“As well as providing support to the children, these clubs offer much-needed respite for their families, who can take a break from their caring role knowing their children are being well cared for by our staff, allowing invaluable time to spend with siblings or other family members.

“We are delighted Branston has chosen us to be our charity of the year so we can continue our work with young people in the region. All of the money raised in Lincolnshire stays in Lincolnshire, and we know this will make a real difference to the activities we can provide.”