Charity latest: WYG; Garbutt & Elliott; DLA Piper

TOM Smith, a sustainability consultant at Leeds-based project management consultancy WYG, is about to embark on a six month 15,000 km cycle ride from Brick Lane in London’s East End to Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka.

With his friend Luke, they hope to raise £10,000 for War Child, a UK charity dedicated to protecting children living in some of the world’s most dangerous countries, and for The Noor E Farid Nasrine Academy, a boy’s orphanage based in Comilla, Bangladesh.

Setting off in June, they will travel unsupported, carrying everything they need with them, and will camp wild as much as possible.

WYG is providing a contribution to funding, insurance, medical assistance and emergency support, as well as a ‘home-from-home’ welcome and practical help from friends in some of its overseas offices.

The pair will pass through a number of WYG’s international hubs including Zagreb and Istanbul, marking a milestone as the fundraisers cross the border between Europe and Asia.

The charities they have chosen to support are closely linked with WYG’s work in the environmental sector and its infrastructure development contracts in former conflict zones and developing countries.

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TWO York women are tackling a 400km charity cycle ride across Cuba this autumn.

Leanne Stevenson and Anne Brown are taking part in the Women v Cancer challenge over five days in October.

They will be raising money for three charities, Breast Cancer Care, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust and Ovarian Cancer Action. Money will also go to support cancer care in Cuba.

Ms Stevenson, who is a personal assistant at accountants Garbutt & Elliott in York, said: “This is the chance of a lifetime for myself and Anne to make a difference and to help others. I saw an article on the Cuba challenge in a magazine and I thought I’d like to have a go. After a little gentle persuasion, Anne agreed to come with me.

“To take part in the Women v Cancer challenge in Cuba, we need to raise a minimum of £6,000. We are so close to the target with nearly £4,700 in the pot and a few fundraising events still to come, but sadly time is not on our side.

“We must have the minimum target submitted to Women v Cancer by the end of July otherwise we will have to give up our places. We have put so much hard work into the fundraising, and a great deal of our own money into this, that it would be incredibly disappointing if we were to fall at the last hurdle.”

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STAFF at law firm DLA Piper in Leeds have decided to try to build a mile long line of copper coins to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support.

It will take around 62,000 two pence pieces to build their mile; they are running the fundraiser all year and if they are successful they will have raised enough money to pay for a Macmillan nurse for two weeks.

Clara White, fundraising manager for Macmillan Cancer Support in Leeds, said: “It is so great to have the support of DLA Piper this year and I think this is such a great idea. Everyone has so many spare coppers in jars at home that they don’t know what to do so this is the perfect solution.”