Blue Light Cycle Club (BLCC), fundraising partner of SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity has raised an incredible £23,545.98 with its first event – the “Tour de BT”.
BLCC, as its name suggests, is a cycling club for the police and fire services, the NHS, HM Coastguard, HM Prison Service, the RNLI, and UK Armed Forces. Earlier this year, it pledged to raise thousands for SSAFA, which is the UK’s oldest tri-service charity.
The club’s inaugural fundraiser for SSAFA was a “three-day cycling extravaganza” taking staff from BT, North, and Empowered through the leafy lanes of Shropshire. Despite less than clement weather, some 50 BLCC members took part.
Neil Turner, the co-founder of BLCC, said:
“It was a pleasure and privilege to host Tour de BT. Riders from BT, North and Empowered showed true determination and resilience riding in challenging conditions on the first two days. Their attitude and beaming smiles were rewarded on the final day. The sun came out and the rain capes were discarded with much relief. The strength of feeling from all in supporting SSAFA ensured the event was a huge success.”
Jessica Sanders, SSAFA’s Corporate Partnerships Officer, commented:
“I’m absolutely speechless at the effort put in by members of Blue Light Cycle Club during their ‘Tour de BT’ through Shropshire over the weekend.
“They all deserve a special mention not just for the amazing amount raised, but also for doing it in weather conditions that were… Well, less than ideal.
“But it’s just this kind of resilience demonstrated between our Armed and Emergency Forces that shows what a strong bond of shared respect and mutual support exists.
“This is why the partnership between SSAFA and Blue Light Cycle Club is so important, because the level of hard work and generosity shown go so far to making sure that SSAFA can carry on its work for serving personnel and veterans, whether Regulars or Reserves, and their families just as it has done since 1885 and will do long into the future.
“Thank you all so much.”
Membership and other details can be found at bluelightcc.co.uk.
For more information, visit ssafa.org.uk.
