Members of the Sycamore team have come together for the Two Point Six Challenge to raise much needed funds for the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance.
The Two Point Six Challenge is a national initiative developed by organisers of the London Marathon, which was postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic and therefore missing vital fundraising as a result. Jerry Redman, Operations Director at Sycamore, said: “We are so excited to be part of the 2.6 challenge. It is a difficult time for many businesses, Sycamore included. We have had to make some hard decisions recently but what better way to pull us all together and lift the team spirit than to raise money for a charity that does so much for our local community.”
Team members went on 26-mile bike rides, ran 26 miles, planked for 26 minutes, did 26 push-ups, and pull ups, ran up and down the stairs 26 times, told 26 jokes and even attempted to eat 26 boiled eggs!
“We’ve been forced to furlough some employees but to see them still take part with so many other team members and to have raised £1,304 is fantastic and very rewarding. Whilst hard times have fallen upon us, I think we will come back a stronger team than ever before”, Jerry finished.
The Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is a registered charity, established to provide relief from sickness and injury for the people of Dorset and Somerset, by the provision of an air ambulance service, with an air and road-delivered critical care capability. The charity receives no direct funding from the Government or the National Lottery and relies on the generosity of the public for support. Their operational costs are over £4 million a year and the approximate cost per mission is £3,000.
Tracy Bartram, Communications Manager for Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance said: “We are delighted that Sycamore took part in the 2.6 challenge and decided to support our charity in the process. To raise such a fantastic amount is a credit to them all. It is with thanks to individuals and businesses like Sycamore, that we can continue providing our life-saving service for 19 hours every single day, even during these difficult times. Our sincere thanks go to the Sycamore team for their enthusiasm and wonderful support.”
The cheque was presented in a virtual handover between Sycamore and the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance via Zoom on 26th May.
About the Two Point Six Challenge
The idea of the Two Point Six Challenge is that participants choose a challenge, any challenge at all, related to 2.6 or 26 and then ask friends and family to sponsor them to try to make up some of the money lost through the London Marathon not going ahead. Anything goes, from running around the garden for 2.6 miles to bench pressing 26 kilos.
Images feature from L to R:
- Debbie Birtwisle, DSAA Community Fundraising Officer – Somerset
- Tracy Bartram, DSAA Communications Manager
- Paul Manning, Project Director at Sycamore Process Engineering
- Jerry Redman, Operations Director at Sycamore Process Engineering
- Claire Baker, DSAA Critical Care Practitioner
- Paul Owen, DSAA Air Operations Officer