EY Foundation event is runaway success

THIS year’s EY Foundation Ronnie Bowker 10km run has raised more than £1,500 to help disadvantaged young people into employment and education in Birmingham.
 
This is the fourth year of the annual charity run, organised in partnership with the EY Foundation and Ronnie Bowker Foundation, and set up in memory of EY’s former office managing partner in Birmingham who died from cancer in 2010.
 
This year’s event attracted more than 130 runners and was staged at Birmingham’s Cannon Hill Park.
 
The money raised for the EY Foundation will go towards helping disadvantaged young people find alternative routes into employment and education, or even set up a business.
 
One of the ways the EY Foundation supports young people in Birmingham is through Smart Futures, a programme offering students paid work experience over the summer that will help them secure a job after school, or go onto higher education. This year, EY will welcome 12 students to its Birmingham office in August as part of the Smart Futures 2016 programme.
 
Mark Minihane, partner at EY in the Midlands and organiser of the EY Foundation Ronnie Bowker 10k, said: “It’s also great to see so many people supporting this local event and is one of the ways Ronnie’s memory lives on for our people and in the wider community.”
 

Bus drivers on board for charity walk

BUS drivers in Shropshire swapped their four wheels for two feet to raise money for charity.

Drivers and engineers from Arriva’s Telford depot completed the sponsored walk to raise money for Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
 
The ‘Walk-a-Wackie’ event was dreamed up by organiser Andrew Armstrong, and named after a 15-mile long route affectionately known as the ‘Wackie Races’ by Midland Red and Timeline drivers who previously drove bus services along it.
 
In total, 13 Arriva employees walked the route in the hope of raising £1,000 towards the purchase of a new X-Ray machine for the children’s hospital.
 
Supported by the fundraising team at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and a small Arriva bus that the depot team had branded-up with balloons and posters to help raise awareness, the walkers’ surpassed all their expectations and succeeded in doubling their target.
 
With one successful campaign already under their belts, the Telford team now plan to spread their generosity even further with more activities in support of other local charities.
 

Cycling club set to tackle epic challenge

SUTTON COLDFIELD cycling club, the Boldmere Bullets are to tackle an epic charity challenge.

A 12-strong team will aim to cycle the 300 miles from Barmouth to Great Yarmouth on May 21 in just 24 hours, non-stop, to raise £10,000 in aid of Sutton Coldfield-based charity, Breast Friends. They will be supported by a team of six other Bullets who will drive support vehicles and provide food and drink along the route.

The team was inspired to do something after Emma Borg, wife of club member Kev Borg, was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer.

The money will be raised for Breast Friends to purchase equipment for Good Hope Hospital Breast Cancer Clinic.

Kev said: “This is certainly going to be a big challenge for the team to complete but it is just our way of helping to support both Good Hope Hospital and an amazing local charity, helping our family to come to terms with the news and the difficult road we have ahead.”

The team has secured sponsorship deals for their kits from MT Cold Storage Solutions, ENL Legal, The BGL Group & Inspired Kollektions. Also Zipvit Sports Nutrition has provided essential gels and bars, Aldridge Accident Repair Centre has supplied a mini-bus and Asda in Minworth has agreed for them to raise funds outside the store.

Donations can be made via their Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/300milesin24hours/