On September 20th JSA are going to be showing their support for the British Heart Foundation by entering a team for the London to Brighton Off Road Bike Ride. This version of the massively popular road ride is 75 miles almost entirely off-road. It\’s a challenging and testing route that mixes cycle path, single track cycling with forest paths and the South Downs Link .
The Route covers a distance of 73.5 miles (125km) with 1570m of climbing starting at the University of Roehampton then heading toward Brighton via Weybridge, Shere, Southwater Country Park and Syeyning before heading down to the finish in Brighton.
The idea of entering a team came from our newest and youngest member of staff, James Dorrington (himself a keen mountain biker)to enter a team for the event – and always up for a challenge in the line of good causes, who were we to decline such an invitation! As such James has been tasked and has risen to the challenge of organising the Companies participation in this event – well done, James! Members of staff from all theatres of operations are volunteering for the cause (with James\’ encouragement) and we will be entering a team with a view to trying to raise as much as possible for this worthy cause.
The money raised funds research that saves lives – In 1961 the number of children born with a heart defect who survived to their first birthday was around 20%. Today that figure is 80%, thanks to procedures such as valve replacement that help them lead improved lives. There is still lots to be done with coronary heart disease still being the UK\’s single biggest killer. Surgery techniques can still be improved and there are exciting developments in genetics and stem cell technology.
We will keep you posted over the next weeks and months with photos and reports from the training rides the staff will be carrying out to try to raise money for this cause as opposed to becoming part of their research!
Watch this space!
