In September, Club Peloton, the cycling events-based charity for the property sector, launched a European fundraising challenge. Explore 2024 brought together senior professionals with NextGen participants to take on one of the charity’s most ambitious three-day rides to date, cycling 450km with more than 7,000m of ascent from Rimini to Rome.
Despite the daily challenges presented on the bike, there was plenty of time for off-bike chats and knowledge sharing among the 38 riders.
Like all of Club Peloton’s rides, Explore’s purpose was to provide a forum for making connections and fundraising. With a target of £40,000, the money raised by Explore is being used to fund activity zones in four paediatric oncology units in hospitals around the UK via Cyclists Fighting Cancer.
Mike Grisenthwaite, chief executive of Cyclists Fighting Cancer, said: “All of us at CFC have been blown away by the fundraising efforts – the original target was obliterated. This means we can extend our offer beyond the original four primary treatment centres for child cancer to at least two more, and site visits are already planned for Newcastle and Belfast.”
Fern Acheson, strategy analyst at British Land and one of the NextGen riders to cycle alongside BL boss Simon Carter, said the ride had enabled her to meet new people and learn about the diverse range of work across the industry.
She added: “It was humbling to be a part of a group effort to raise such a significant amount of money for Cyclists Fighting Cancer. Explore 2024 was a truly unforgettable experience and one of the highlights of my year.”
Carter said the ride was a “demanding endeavour” that tested the limit of his cycling capabilities.
“The route was fantastic. I particularly enjoyed cycling through the Umbria region, where there seemed to be one stunning hilltop town after another, with the standout being the view from Assisi,” he said. “The hardest moment was cycling round a corner on the second day to come face-to-face with a 15% hill that stood between us and lunch.”
He added: “We know real estate is a relationship industry and this ride was a great opportunity for all of us, but particularly the NextGeners, to grow their network, pick up some intel and share notes on the challenges and opportunities we each face on a day-to-day basis. As chief executive of British Land, I always appreciate the opportunity to spend time with people starting out in their real estate career because the reality is they see things through a different lens. It also helps me and the rest of the senior team think about how we make BL a more interesting proposition for top talent.”
To find out more about Club Peloton and its fundraising rides, head to clubpeloton.org
All images © Club Peloton
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