Ain't no mountain high enough for Bidwells' cycling team who conquer the Giant of Provence

The team from the property consultancy's Residential Development division, cycled to the summit of Mont Ventoux on Saturday 16 May, to raise money for the East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH).

And although the money is still pouring in, the team have already raised a massive £18,500 for the charity, and hope they will soon hit their target of £20,000.

Mont Ventoux has been part of the Tour de France since 1951, located in the Provence region of southern France and it is the largest mountain in the region and has been nicknamed the 'Giant of Provence'.

The team, who funded their trip, took the route from Bédoin which is the most difficult ascent. The route from Bédoin to the summit of Mont Ventoux is over 21km long and has an average gradient of 7.5% with some sections in excess of 10%.

Brian Buckingham, Head of Residential Development, said: "Although we had all managed to put in some training before the event, we really found it a challenge reaching the top, because it is such steep ascent. But we are all just delighted to have completed it – it's quite a surreal experience, you start at the bottom of the mountain basking in glorious sunshine and yet at the top of the mountain there is snow!

"It really was a remarkable, albeit a challenging experience, but it really reinforced our team spirit, despite us suffering from three punctures and some crunched gears. We would just like to say thank you to everyone who sponsored us for this event, especially all the house builders who were so generous with their donations. We are really overwhelmed that we have raised so much money for this outstanding charity."

As part of the fund-raising efforts the team tendered "Lots" on each of the cyclist's jersey whereby house builders bid for a Lot with the highest bidder was given pride of place sponsorship logos on the team shirt.

A total of seven house builders bid for the Lots – Hill, Barratt Homes, Countryside, Redrow, Berkeley Strategic, Persimmon and CALA Homes raising £12,675.

The team was made up of Brian Buckingham, Alex Cox, Hannah Beamish, Geoff Leyland, Sarah Cullen from the Cambridge office, Ian Wickerson from the Chelmsford office, Simon Thomas, Andy Haynes and Matthew Dawson from the Milton Keynes office, and Sophie Illingworth and Toby Lambert (support driver) from the St Albans office.

Karen Newton, EACH Cambridgeshire Fundraiser said: “The support Bidwells have shown the charity whilst celebrating their 175th year has been tremendous and it’s wonderful to see so many of their staff getting behind their fundraising and generously giving up their time. All the money raised will allow EACH to continue its vital work caring for children and young people with life-threatening conditions and supporting their families.”

To sponsor the team and make a donation towards East Anglia's Children's Hospices please visit https://www.justgiving.com/BidwellsMontVentoux

 
About Bidwells

Established over 175 years ago, today Bidwells is one of the UK's leading multi-disciplined property consultancies. We employ almost 500 people in 13 offices across England and Scotland and provide a full range of services across the Commercial, Residential and Rural sectors.

 _________________________________________