Factory to Festival 2020 is the annual charity cycling event run by the Helping Hand Charity.
  On the 28th September, 4 members of the DAF Trucks UK Parts Team completed the Lake Ballaton Cycle Challenge in Hungary, also known as the Tour de Pelso. This consisted of a total cycling distance of over 200km with an ascent of 965 metres in under 11 hours, burning a whopping 6000 calories in the process. The UK team consisted of Michael Hunt, Warren Cliffe, Mark Harmon and Paul Cook who were joined by DAF European colleagues Jan Damen, Manel Chacon, Anne Bressers, Rudy Bressers, Jeroen Gielen, Ronald van de Meerakker, Daniel Heller, David Kiss and other colleagues from DAF/Paccar Parts in Hungary. The full team started and finished, a true team effort and an amazing achievement. Please keep the sponsorship coming in!! Thank you! https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ppuk19   The 2nd Annual Golf Day at Leyland Golf Club with all teams competing for the newly named ‘Gerald Harwood’ Trophy, named after an ex Leyland Trucks employee who was an avid golfer and competed in the competition last year. The weather was a complete washout, but the level of commitment from the teams playing in the rain was amazing. We had 14 teams start and 7 finish. Of that 7, the winning team was The Striped Pig with a brilliant individual performance from Will Walne. Gerald’s wife Doris and son Andrew were there to present the trophy to the winners. We raised over £2000 and that will go directly to local Charities.
     A nine-year-old boy from Clayton-le-Woods has been presented with a special gift by Leyland Trucks, after his fundraising efforts singlehandedly brought in more than five per cent of the manufacturer’s £16,000 charity donation to St Catherine’s Hospice.
|
 |  |
 |  |
A half marathon is no mean feat, but for a group of determined Helping Hand supporters, this year’s Manchester Half on October 14, was a chance to raise some money in honour of a much-loved friend and colleague, who passed away this year.
The group of 46 aspiring runners from Helping Hand and Revolution Running club pounded the streets to prepare for the 13.1 mile half marathon, between them clocking up a huge 607 miles. This combined effort saw £3,500 raised to support the family of friend and colleague Chris Whittle, who sadly lost his battle with cancer earlier this year.
In the month Chris would have turned 40, the Revolution Running and Helping Hand fundraisers look back on the race.
Leyland Trucks’ Karen Sussams had no running experience before she took up the challenge, with just 3 months to train, but found the support from her Revolution Running club buddy Danny a huge help to cross the finish line. Karen said: “I’ve never even run 1 mile let alone 13.1 miles and, I didn’t believe that there was any way I could do it, but here I am, my first half marathon completed, I didn’t break any land speed record, but I crossed the finish line with a smile on my face.
“What we all achieved is monumental, whether you were an experienced runner or new to the sport, it’s fantastic what we all did and I’m so proud to be able to say that I was part of this team."
Julie-Ann Caton, from Revolution Running, who also ran for Helping Hand, and said: “What kept me going on the rainy nights and windy mornings was the reason why we were doing it – because we are lucky enough to be alive and be able push ourselves for the good of others.
“I was so proud to be part of the team and see how far everyone had come, especially those that were non-runners at the start, they soon got the bug and performed brilliantly on the day.”
Cassim Tilly from the Leyland Trucks Finance Team also took part in the race, despite having suffered arthritis in the past. Cassim said, “Looking around a magnificent sea of runners all heading in the same direction was the best feeling ever.
“It is hard to comprehend that I finished my first half marathon. I was nowhere near what you would call fast, but I feel like such a winner. Thanks to the encouragement from Helping Hands and the worthy cause for which we all raised money.”
Alison Evans, coach at Revolution Running was part of the team that helped the runners train, and completed the run herself. She said, “From the moment I was asked to support some training sessions for MCR half marathon for Chris Whittle myself and Revolution Running jumped right on board.
“Athletes from the group and Leyland Trucks became great running buddies, offering support and encouragement to each other from day one. Every one of our hard working committed athletes who stepped over the start line skipped over the finish line. Our families all spurring us on, our running buddies shouting words of encouragement throughout the course but mostly we skipped with tippy toes and elbows for the man in all our thoughts Chris Whittle. "
Helping Hand’s Sarah Schofield was another runner to take up the challenge, and said despite the rain on the day, spirits were not dampened. “It was wet, eventful, wonderful and really enjoyable to be a part of the whole experience, in the knowledge that we all completed it in the memory of Chris Whittle.” Sarah said.
She adds, “Thanks to everyone who took part in this fundraising challenge, we have one final thank you to make and then we will publish the total amount we raised and when we will be making the donation.”
The group of 46 aspiring runners from Helping Hand and Revolution Running club pounded the streets to prepare for the 13.1 mile half marathon, between them clocking up a huge 607 miles. This combined effort saw £3,500 raised to support the family of friend and colleague Chris Whittle, who sadly lost his battle with cancer earlier this year.
In the month Chris would have turned 40, the Revolution Running and Helping Hand fundraisers look back on the race.
Leyland Trucks’ Karen Sussams had no running experience before she took up the challenge, with just 3 months to train, but found the support from her Revolution Running club buddy Danny a huge help to cross the finish line. Karen said: “I’ve never even run 1 mile let alone 13.1 miles and, I didn’t believe that there was any way I could do it, but here I am, my first half marathon completed, I didn’t break any land speed record, but I crossed the finish line with a smile on my face.
“What we all achieved is monumental, whether you were an experienced runner or new to the sport, it’s fantastic what we all did and I’m so proud to be able to say that I was part of this team."
Julie-Ann Caton, from Revolution Running, who also ran for Helping Hand, and said: “What kept me going on the rainy nights and windy mornings was the reason why we were doing it – because we are lucky enough to be alive and be able push ourselves for the good of others.
“I was so proud to be part of the team and see how far everyone had come, especially those that were non-runners at the start, they soon got the bug and performed brilliantly on the day.”
Cassim Tilly from the Leyland Trucks Finance Team also took part in the race, despite having suffered arthritis in the past. Cassim said, “Looking around a magnificent sea of runners all heading in the same direction was the best feeling ever.
“It is hard to comprehend that I finished my first half marathon. I was nowhere near what you would call fast, but I feel like such a winner. Thanks to the encouragement from Helping Hands and the worthy cause for which we all raised money.”
Alison Evans, coach at Revolution Running was part of the team that helped the runners train, and completed the run herself. She said, “From the moment I was asked to support some training sessions for MCR half marathon for Chris Whittle myself and Revolution Running jumped right on board.
“Athletes from the group and Leyland Trucks became great running buddies, offering support and encouragement to each other from day one. Every one of our hard working committed athletes who stepped over the start line skipped over the finish line. Our families all spurring us on, our running buddies shouting words of encouragement throughout the course but mostly we skipped with tippy toes and elbows for the man in all our thoughts Chris Whittle. "
Helping Hand’s Sarah Schofield was another runner to take up the challenge, and said despite the rain on the day, spirits were not dampened. “It was wet, eventful, wonderful and really enjoyable to be a part of the whole experience, in the knowledge that we all completed it in the memory of Chris Whittle.” Sarah said.
She adds, “Thanks to everyone who took part in this fundraising challenge, we have one final thank you to make and then we will publish the total amount we raised and when we will be making the donation.”
A team of intrepid cyclists have raised over £10,000 in an epic 105 mile ride across Lancashire – all to raise money for local charities.
One of the team, elite cyclist and former British Hill-climb champion Jim Henderson, gave himself an even bigger challenge, completing the course twice and covering over 200 miles. To make things even harder, he did it all on a fixed-wheel bike, with no gears.
One of the team, elite cyclist and former British Hill-climb champion Jim Henderson, gave himself an even bigger challenge, completing the course twice and covering over 200 miles. To make things even harder, he did it all on a fixed-wheel bike, with no gears.
The cyclists - all colleagues at Leyland Trucks and Lancashire DAF – completed the cycling extravaganza in a bid to raise cash for Leyland Trucks’ Helping Hand charity, which supports good causes in the region.
The Factory to Forecourt event saw the team cycle 105 miles, from the Leyland Trucks facility in Leyland early in the morning of Saturday 14th July, to the Lancashire DAF dealership in Preston, where they were welcomed home with a family festival later that day.
The route took the team and their two-vehicle support crew on a huge circle of North Lancashire, from Leyland to Preston, east to Settle, across to Lancaster and back to Preston, with just three rest stops.
The 18-strong cycling team were inspired to take up the cross-county challenge by the work of Helping Hand, the Leyland Trucks employee charity, which will donate all money raised to the Rosemere Cancer Foundation, Cancer Help (Preston) Ltd and The Christie Charity.
The riders themselves ranged in ability and role, with three members of the senior management team taking part along with Lancashire DAF MD Paul Entwistle. The team split into groups, and made sure even those who were not finding it easy, kept going.
Peter Jukes, Leyland Trucks Operations Director said: “It was certainly a tough challenge, but we really wanted to do something meaningful and ride as a team. The charities we chose to support were brought into sharp focus recently when we sadly lost Chris Whittle, one of our own employees to cancer just a few weeks ago, this spurred us on to raise as much as we could. The ride was not about getting a fast time, but about working together as a team as we do at work and helping each other complete the ride, which I am proud to say we did.”
The Factory to Forecourt event saw the team cycle 105 miles, from the Leyland Trucks facility in Leyland early in the morning of Saturday 14th July, to the Lancashire DAF dealership in Preston, where they were welcomed home with a family festival later that day.
The route took the team and their two-vehicle support crew on a huge circle of North Lancashire, from Leyland to Preston, east to Settle, across to Lancaster and back to Preston, with just three rest stops.
The 18-strong cycling team were inspired to take up the cross-county challenge by the work of Helping Hand, the Leyland Trucks employee charity, which will donate all money raised to the Rosemere Cancer Foundation, Cancer Help (Preston) Ltd and The Christie Charity.
The riders themselves ranged in ability and role, with three members of the senior management team taking part along with Lancashire DAF MD Paul Entwistle. The team split into groups, and made sure even those who were not finding it easy, kept going.
Peter Jukes, Leyland Trucks Operations Director said: “It was certainly a tough challenge, but we really wanted to do something meaningful and ride as a team. The charities we chose to support were brought into sharp focus recently when we sadly lost Chris Whittle, one of our own employees to cancer just a few weeks ago, this spurred us on to raise as much as we could. The ride was not about getting a fast time, but about working together as a team as we do at work and helping each other complete the ride, which I am proud to say we did.”
Helping Hand Chairman Matt Kersey, and support crew for the day said, “Last year Helping Hand raised a staggering £50,000 for charity, which is amazing. This year, we want to raise even more, and this event is one of the major fundraisers in our plan. We are so proud of the team for raising such a huge amount for some really good causes.”
He added, “The three cancer charities we have chosen all do so much for our community, and with a large workforce, sadly many lives of our employees have been effected by the disease, and many helped by these amazing charities. This is our way of giving something back.”
The group were met at Lancashire DAF by the Mayor of South Ribble, Councillor John Rainsbury and a true British summer party. Cllr Rainsbury said, “Congratulations to all the riders for their efforts, it’s a wonderful thing the Helping Hand charity does and it’s been a pleasure and an honour to be a part of this event today.”
Helping Hand presented the three chosen cancer charities with donations as the riders arrived. Speaking at the event, Cathy Skidmore, Corporate Fundraising Manager at Rosemere Cancer Foundation said, “What a terrific challenge and congratulations to all those who took part on their fantastic achievement. We are so grateful to the team for their fundraising efforts. The money raised will be used towards the creation of a completely remodelled cancer ward at Royal Preston Hospital with state of the art facilities for patients and their relatives, to create a ward with modern and flexible spaces, particularly of benefit to those travelling long distances to visit loved ones, offering more privacy and dignity to patients and more age appropriate areas and facilities for teenagers and young adults. Thank you to the staff of Leyland Trucks for all their support!””
Jeanette Smalley, General Manager at Cancer Help (Preston) commented: “The Helping Hand Charity has done great things supporting local charities over the years and we are delighted that they have thought about supporting Cancer Help again. All the hard work and dedicated training has paid off and we’re grateful to everyone for taking on such a long ride through at times a challenging landscape.”
The Helping Hand team worked with business partners to sponsor items such as team shirts, and the food and drink at the party, with companies including Atlas Copco, Handley James Consulting, Lancashire DAF, Specsavers, Goodyear, PPS Commercials Limited, Slater Safety, TCC Life, Fylde Executive Cars, Actemium, Made Profiles, and KP Industries all signing up to help raise money.
He added, “The three cancer charities we have chosen all do so much for our community, and with a large workforce, sadly many lives of our employees have been effected by the disease, and many helped by these amazing charities. This is our way of giving something back.”
The group were met at Lancashire DAF by the Mayor of South Ribble, Councillor John Rainsbury and a true British summer party. Cllr Rainsbury said, “Congratulations to all the riders for their efforts, it’s a wonderful thing the Helping Hand charity does and it’s been a pleasure and an honour to be a part of this event today.”
Helping Hand presented the three chosen cancer charities with donations as the riders arrived. Speaking at the event, Cathy Skidmore, Corporate Fundraising Manager at Rosemere Cancer Foundation said, “What a terrific challenge and congratulations to all those who took part on their fantastic achievement. We are so grateful to the team for their fundraising efforts. The money raised will be used towards the creation of a completely remodelled cancer ward at Royal Preston Hospital with state of the art facilities for patients and their relatives, to create a ward with modern and flexible spaces, particularly of benefit to those travelling long distances to visit loved ones, offering more privacy and dignity to patients and more age appropriate areas and facilities for teenagers and young adults. Thank you to the staff of Leyland Trucks for all their support!””
Jeanette Smalley, General Manager at Cancer Help (Preston) commented: “The Helping Hand Charity has done great things supporting local charities over the years and we are delighted that they have thought about supporting Cancer Help again. All the hard work and dedicated training has paid off and we’re grateful to everyone for taking on such a long ride through at times a challenging landscape.”
The Helping Hand team worked with business partners to sponsor items such as team shirts, and the food and drink at the party, with companies including Atlas Copco, Handley James Consulting, Lancashire DAF, Specsavers, Goodyear, PPS Commercials Limited, Slater Safety, TCC Life, Fylde Executive Cars, Actemium, Made Profiles, and KP Industries all signing up to help raise money.
RSS Feed
