Six John Cotton employees and friends were cheered over the finish line last Friday, as they completed their 761-mile charity bike ride from Poland to Mirfield.
Friends and family of the team were joined by Welcome to Yorkshire’s Sir Gary Verity, Tour de France veteran Brian Robinson, the Cotton family, Sam Wood and Tom Symonds from the Huddersfield Giants and charity representatives to welcome the cyclists home.
The riders raised £9888 which was added to the final total for the fundraising activities throughout the company’s centenary year. This brought the total to £120,000 for its six chosen charities, which include Macmillan, Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice, Kirkwood Hospice, Yorkshire Air & Ambulance, Yorkshire Cancer Centre Appeal and Derian House.
David Page, sales and marketing director at John Cotton, was one of the riders who took part in the ride. He says: “The team has done so well. The hot weather was something we couldn’t anticipate or train for, however the fitness across the group helped get us through the more challenging moments. it has been tough, but we are so pleased we made it through without any major issues. I’m so glad to be back home and reunited with my wonderful family who have been supporting me and keeping me going during the ride. Thank you to everyone who donated and supported us throughout this. It is definitely going to be an experience I will never forget.”
The group flew to Gluszyca in Poland on 9th September before setting off on the morning of the 10th. The first stage of the ride saw them cycle 126 miles at an average elevation of 4500ft, to the town of Uhyst in Germany. The ride took them one week to complete, travelling through four different countries and comprising seven stages, culminating in a total of 761 miles. Former Mirfield mayor, Martyn Bolt, joined the team on 16th September to show his support and raise morale in the final 80-mile stretch back to John Cotton's headquarters in Mirfield.
John Cotton MBE was joined by his wife Barbara, son Mark and daughter Annabel to congratulate the team on their achievement. He says: “This is a fantastic achievement by the team and rounds off a truly memorable year for the company. I want to take this opportunity to say a massive thank you to everyone that has been involved in our centenary year and helping us to raise such an incredible amount of money for our chosen charities. It has been a pleasure working with them and we hope this money will help continue the wonderful work they do.”
