Warwick Conferences kicks off charity cycling event

As the crowds gathered in anticipation of the Grand Départ in Leeds, over 100 miles away at the University of Warwick, Warwick Conferences embarked on a two-wheeled journey all of their own.

Warwick Conferences’ longest-serving employee set the wheels of its epic two-week ‘Cycle for Change’ biking event in motion by taking on the first mile of a 2,271 mile adventure—all in the name of charity.

Leading the valiant troops of staff and delegates in their quest to match the same distance in miles covered by the Tour de France, Keith Tayler, in his 24th year of service as a head chef at the Coventry-and-Warwickshire-based conference business saddled up at Scarman to complete mile one out of 2,271 and donate the first £1 towards the target.

Warwick Conferences have teamed up with the UK’s largest bicycle retailer Halfords to host the Cycle for Change initiative, which will run from Friday 4 July to Monday 28 July. The Boardman Race bike—which is secured on rollers—will appear at all of Warwick Conferences’ venues and across the university campus with the aim to have delegates and staff participate to collectively cycle the Tour de France route distance and raise at least £1 for each mile covered.

The funds donated by guests and staff will go to Halfords’ chosen charity Re-Cycle, an organisation that sends unwanted bikes to Africa enabling people to travel to work and school, as well as allowing small-scale traders to reach customers further afield. The bikes can also be an invaluable resource for travelling health workers and provide access to training and employment, helping to improve lives in a sustainable way.

Cyclists will even have the chance to ride away with a prize, with each rider automatically entered into a draw to win the road bike that will be used for the event.

Rachael Bartlett, head of sales and marketing at Warwick Conferences, comments: “We’re thrilled that the Cycle for Change event has got off to a great start—it was brilliant to have Keith commence the race, and we expect to see many more of our staff and customers following his lead!

“Over the next two weeks, we hope to prove that a little pedal power really can make a huge difference, raising as much as we can for what is a fantastic cause.”

To find out more about Cycle for Change and to see a schedule detailing dates and locations, please visit www.warwickconferences.com/cycle-for-change.