Exeter team cycles 1,000 miles in 10 days to raise £10k

The team is made up of five University of Exeter staff and Paul Gibbins, Partner of J&A Gibbins local catering butcher and supplier to the University.

The journey from Land’s End to John O’Groats is to raise funds in memory of Karen Foggett, a former University employee who worked in the Campus Services Retail team. Karen sadly passed away in April of this year, but was cared for by Hospiscare and their dedicated team of staff.

Phil Rees-Jones, University of Exeter Assistant Director of Retail and team leader for the challenge explained: “We were overwhelmed by the care and support Karen was given and wanted to give something back to Hospiscare to help them continue their good work.  We are all keen cyclists but never have any of us ever attempted such a demanding challenge as this."

“The support we have received so far from local businesses and individuals has been fantastic and we are extremely grateful to all of our sponsors for their generosity.  We have set an ambitious target of £10,000 for 10 days but wanted to do something that would really make a difference in Karen’s memory.”

The team begin their journey on Monday 1 October and hope to reach John O’Groats on Wednesday 10 October.  Cycling with Phil will be Head Chef Aaron Tong, Second Chef Nick Denning, Managers John Glasper and Rob O’Connell and University Supplier Paul Gibbins.

Paul Gibbins, Partner at J&A Gibbins said, “I am delighted to be cycling with the University team to raise money for Hospiscare and cannot think of a more deserving cause to fundraise for.  We are all dedicated to making this challenge a complete success.  We know it won’t be easy but have been training hard to ensure we all do the best we can.”

Anyone wishing to support the Karen Foggett Memorial Cycle can do so via their Just Giving page or visiting the Corporate Sponsorship packages on the challenge website.

You can follow the team’s progress on Facebook or via their Twitter feed.