Eight month charity cycling challenge raises nearly £300,000

In July 2022 we waved off a colleague from Gateley Vinden as he cycled from Manchester to Melbourne in aid of Carers Trust and Bolton Lads and Girls Club. It took Andrew Crompton eight months to complete the challenge cycling across three continents, 14 countries and 10 time zones.

Despite everything thrown at him (including 10 punctured tyres, being chased by feral dogs and enduring temperatures from +37C to -3C) Andrew still managed to complete the challenge, meet some incredible people along the way and raise nearly £300,000 for the two charities, which aim to provide support for young unpaid carers. It’s a cause that’s important to Andrew, who has been a mentor at the Bolton Lads and Girls club for years.

We were proud to support Andrew on this journey as one of his main kit sponsors. Partner and Manchester Office Head, Paul Jefferson, said: “We were more than delighted to sponsor Andrew in his endeavours to raise money for these two very worthwhile causes. Carers are very often the unsung heroes in our society, particularly young people who may be looking after their parents, grandparents or siblings, which is why we were so pleased to be involved by sponsoring him on this venture.”

Andrew commented: “I just want to thank everyone at Gateley for the incredible donation in respect of my charity bike ride. It is very generous and hugely appreciated and the money raised will make an enormous difference to many young carers. It really is testament to a great company and board supporting ‘one of its own’ and I feel very privileged to be a part of the team.”