Pedal power has raised more than £50,000 for chosen charities

Pedal power has raised more than £50,000 for chosen charities

26 February 2016

The charity cycle team who completed a tough 430 mile, five day challenge cycling through Germany, presented their donation to one of the charities benefitting from their fundraising efforts.

The annual Tour of Europe Ride, founded and organised by the award winning Barnsley based retail property developers Dransfield Properties Ltd, presented a cheque for £16,650 to blood cancer charity Bloodwise during a visit to a research lab at St James’s Hospital in Leeds.

The team were given a tour of the labs and the opportunity to find out more about the ground breaking research work they're helping to fund along with an insight in to some of the projects funded through Bloodwise (formerly named Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research).

The donation was part of the £50,000 total raised by the 16-strong team of riders last year when they covered over 400 miles cycling from Munich to Berlin in September 2015.

The riders, who come from across the UK, supported Action Against Cancer (AAC) and Bloodwise  –  a third of the funds raised every year is also donated to other charities and groups nominated by the team of riders through the Dransfield Foundation.

The team are already busy planning the 2016 ride which will take place in September, and will pick up from last year’s finish point in Berlin to finish in Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen. Once again covering over 400 miles in just under five days.

The annual Tour of Europe ride started back in 2007 and saw the team cycle from London to Paris. Over the last nine years the riders have covered more than 3,000 miles, travelled through six different countries and raised over £350,000 for charity.

Mark Dransfield, Managing Director of Dransfield Properties Ltd, said: “Being able to meet members of the team who are undertaking the vital work and research into the treatment and cure of blood cancers is an incredible honour for our team. Being able to see what our fundraising efforts helps to support is certainly something which helps us to tackle those tough hill climbs during the ride.
"We would like to thank everyone who has sponsored and supported the team throughout the 2015 challenge – we really do appreciate every penny that is donated.”

Catriona Tait, Regional Manager North at Bloodwise, said “Thank you so much to Team Dransfield for yet another fantastic donation. Their ongoing support of Bloodwise is greatly appreciated, and they are making a fantastic contribution to our work to beat blood cancer, including the ground breaking work which they saw first-hand during our visit to our Leeds research centre at St James’s Hospital”.

To see more pictures from the 2015 Tour of Europe please visit the Dransfield Properties website at www.dransfield.co.uk or you can like Team Dransfield on facebook or follow the cyclists on twitter @teamdransfield

Picture shows: Catriona Tait of Bloodwise North Region, Gina Doody of Bloodwise Leeds research centre, Sue Lucas and Kerry Strawson of Bloodwise Grimsby, Paul Dransfield of PDR Construction and Tour of Europe Cyclist and Charlotte Whittaker, Communications Assistant Dransfield Properties Ltd.

For further information, contact:

Public Relations Department, Dransfield Properties Ltd
Tel: 01226 360644
Email: pr@dransfield.co.uk