Homebuilder raises more than £20,000 in cycling challenge

Staff members from different departments collectively cycled 1,550 miles across three days, the equivalent of cycling from the developer’s head office in Northampton to Venice.

The challenge came about as Barratt Homes wanted to celebrate the NHS’s 75th Anniversary this year, and raise money to say thank you to NHS staff who continue to work tirelessly for the local community.

The team managed to raise £10,531, which was matched by The Barratt Foundation, making the grand total £21,062 which has been donated to Northampton Health Charity.

Northamptonshire Health Charity supports Northampton General Hospital, Kettering General Hospital, and the Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

The developer’s donation will be split across many wards including Cardiology, Clinical Oncology, Dementia Services and the Children’s Ward.

Christina Kelly, Charity Grants and Liaison at Northamptonshire Health Charity, said: “What an outstanding effort and incredible donation! We are most grateful to everyone that took part in the mega spin-a-thon and to those individuals and companies that sponsored the event!

“Funds will be spent on helping improve staff health and wellbeing by updating some of the oldest, most tired looking staff rooms that are in desperate need of refurbishment. Transforming these areas into relaxing and welcoming communal spaces will have a truly uplifting and positive impact on staff, helping them to relax and unwind during their breaks, which is so vital when working long shifts in a busy and challenging environment.”

The event idea came through Barratt Homes’ Senior Sales Manager, Gemma Ridgway, who said: “We wanted to raise money for our local hospitals, and the NHS 75th Anniversary was the perfect opportunity for this. It was amazing to see how many of the team got involved and we’re pleased to hear that the money is going to make a big difference to the charity.”

Simon Francis, Managing Director at Barratt Homes Northampton, said: “We’re extremely proud of the efforts of our team in their fundraising for Northamptonshire Health Charity.

“This was a huge challenge for the team to take, and we hope they enjoyed pushing themselves for a good cause.

“Northamptonshire Health Charity provides vital support for the local hospitals’ patients, families and staff, and we’re delighted to have raised a significant amount to support its work.”

Barratt Homes Northampton is continuing its support for the charity by sponsoring the Northampton 10K in May.

To learn more about the charity and how to support its work, visit the website at Northamptonshire Health Charity.