Local Aberdeen man Steve Rae has taken on a mammoth 500-mile cycle tour of Scotland for local children’s charity, Befriend a Child with the help and support of his friends and co-workers at Handelsbanken.
Steve took on the 5-day cycling challenge beginning in Aberdeen on May 26. From there Steve cycled to Inverness, Perth, Stirling, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dunfermline and Dundee before returning to Aberdeen on May 30.
‘It has been something the team and I at Handelsbanken have been thinking about for a couple of years now, to go on a Scotland wide tour of the Handelsbanken branches for charity,’ says Corporate Banking Manager, Steve.
After supporting a number of local charities throughout the years at charity dinners and balls, the team felt it was time to finally embark on a bigger challenge, and it all came down to choosing the right charity.
Steve says, ‘It was about finding the right charity that resonated with us all that really mattered’.
‘Befriend a Child have always been a charity we at Handelsbanken have been aware of and supported. We all have children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews in our lives who have been very fortunate to have happy childhood experiences, so when we heard there were over 8,000 children in the North-East alone who aren’t so fortunate, the team knew we had to do something to help’ – says Steve.
As well as aiming to raise awareness for the Befriend a Child across Scotland with his branded cycling kit, Steve set out to raise £5,000 for the charity with the help and support of friends, family, clients and co-workers at Handelsbanken.
‘Handelsbanken have been so supportive of this cause. They have sponsored my cycling kit, accommodation and meals for the challenge which has been invaluable to ensuring all of the money raised goes to Befriend a Child.’ says Steve.
A keen cyclist since 2014, Steve has put in the miles over the last 3-4 months to build up the stamina and endurance to complete the 500-mile challenge. ‘I think the most challenging part was pacing myself and making sure I planned enough stops to refuel, luckily my colleague Neil, was close by during the journey to make sure I stayed healthy and safe.’
Steve completed his cycle and returned to the Handelsbanken base in Aberdeen where he was greeted by his colleagues and the team from Befriend a Child. Steve has now raised over £7,839.66 as part of his challenge which is a fantastic achievement.
‘It’s always brilliant when individuals choose to take on a challenge for Befriend a Child, but when we heard Steve was planning to cycle over 500 miles for us we were delighted.
Steve has worked so hard in his training and fundraising and the £7,839.66 he has raised will go a long way in helping us turn frowns upside down for children across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire,’ – Richard Steward, Head of fundraising and marketing, Befriend a Child.
Steve Rae and Kuddles