The sky’s the limit
Twelve liverymen from the Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors, including its master, Roger Southam, fell from the heavens in a thrilling charity skydive.
The group descended gracefully (and sometimes not) over Old Sarum Airfield, near Salisbury, under the expert supervision of the Red Devils, the display arm of the British Army’s Parachute Regiment.
Southam, of Chainbow, had a 45-second freefall at 120mph before his parachute opened (thankfully) at around 5,000ft. He was said to be particularly vocal in the sky.
The group also included Ian and Paddy Flanagan from IB and PA Flanagan Partnership, who undertook the jump to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary.
Other jumpers included Roberta Anderson of Dorchester Asset Management; Simon Camamile of Jones Lang LaSalle; David Mann of Tuffin Ferraby Taylor; Brett Robinson of Seven Dials Fund Management; Kevin McGrath of M&M Asset Management; Rachel Puzey and Richard Carter of Martin Associates; Karl Meade of Genesis Coordination; and Simon Jacklin of Daniel Connal Partnership.
The team raised £15,000 for the Worshipful Company’s charitable trust, which supports the Chartered Surveyors’ Training Trust. To donate, visit ?www.justgiving.com/Roger-Southam
A capital result ?for Pru cyclists
Retail property consultant Adam Perrey joined the masses in the Prudential Ride London 100-mile cycle event this month, and we couldn’t blame him if he was on the sore side.
He completed the ride, from the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to Box Hill in Surrey and finishing at the Mall, on the back of a gruelling four-day team cycle just a few weeks earlier, covering the 400 miles from St David’s in Wales to Lowestoft in Suffolk, the widest distance across the UK.
Perrey embarked on both challenges to raise awareness and funds for research into ataxia, a cause close to his heart. ?You can sponsor his efforts at www.virginmoneygiving.com/adamperreyataxia
Another property gun, Robert Rae, also schlepped to the capital for the Prudential ride, the largest charity bike ride in the world, with 20,000 cyclists. Rae, a partner at North Rae Sanders, raised money for Macmillan Cancer Support.
He’s off again in October to bike 340 miles in France.
Rae is accepting money for Macmillan at www.virginmoneygiving.com/NorthRaeSanders
Ironman pair learn to Scope
A Colliers International duo showed ?their steel at an Ironman Triathlon in Bolton. The competition involved a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile cycle and a marathon.
Richard Coombs and Nick Pentecost notched up some 300 miles between them to raise money for Scope, which helps disabled people and their families in the UK.
A punishing training regime paid off for Coombs, who finished in the top 20% in his age category.
He said: “The build-up in Bolton was immense and did nothing for my fraying nerves, but the crowed was fantastic. About 200m from the finish, an army cadet volunteer yelled, ‘you’re almost an ironman’, and it really hit me.”
Pentecost, having never attempted a marathon before, let alone running one after a swim and cycle leg, described the challenge as “colossal”.
He added: “Despite an emotionally challenging puncture at mile 96 on the bike, the event went really well and sneaking in under my target time of 14 hours was a fantastic bonus.”
You can support the pair by donating at www.virginmoneygiving.com/RichardCoombs and www.justgiving.com/Nick-Pentecost-Ironman-2013
Trekkers ?in Peak condition
The steely pack split up into two groups, the Rates Avengers and the Power Raters, and completed the endurance challenge in less than 12 hours.
Trekker Laura Johnson, who is the firm’s head of lease advisory, said: “It was very hard and the heat exhausted us, but I was thrilled to be part of the challenge.”
The teams raised more than £2,500 for Cancer Research.
Moreton stays ?in the running
After losing his mum to cancer seven years ago, Mike Moreton vowed to raise at least £500 every year for research into the disease.
His commitment continued this year as the CW Fellowes tax trainee took on the 24-hour Portsmouth relay along with three friends.
Moreton ran 147 laps of the Mountbatten Centre in the ambitious overnight endeavour, adding up to a total of 36.5 miles.
He said: “We managed to run for ?the entire 24 hours in ridiculous heat, ?and racked up a total of 144.2 miles between us.”
Moreton and his team surpassed their fundraising target, collecting £2,000 for Cancer Research UK.
“A massive thank you to everyone who sponsored me. Knowing we were raising money for such a great cause kept us all going,” he said.
Paris pedal power pays off
Another from the “property goes cycling” files: Ian Mercer, a partner at Bruton Knowles, two-wheeled it from Paris to Priors Marston in Warwickshire recently.
The Brum surveyor covered 270 miles over two days in the team event, though the cyclists got off to a shaky start when a round of punctures scuppered proceedings just after they set off.
Mercer described the ride as “a tough challenge but worthwhile”.
Money raised went to the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Cystic Fibrosis Trust, Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Alzheimer’s Society.
A litter hard work canalside
Property can be a dirty job. And it was never more so for Sanderson Weatherall, whose employees helped to restore good looks to part of the Manchester canal network in a clean-up push.
A team from the firm were aboard the Canal & River Trust’s “litter boat”, clearing almost 1.5 tonnes of detritus from the Ducie Street Basin and Rochdale and Ashton Canals.
The boat ride compensated for the grubby work, said Sanderson Weatherall partner Simon Heather.
“Actually, it was a great way to see this part of the city and the canalside regeneration schemes,” he said.
rebecca.kent@estatesgazette.com
