Colleagues from Dales Marine Services’ Greenock shipyard swapped their overalls, PPE and office attire for cycling shorts as they completed a charity bike ride around Great Cumbrae, raising £4,000 for two worthy causes.
More than 30 team members from the dry dock and ship repair, fabrication and conversion specialists undertook the challenge, battling summer rain showers as they cycled, to raise funds for Greenock’s Ardgowan Hospice and the Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) Trust.
Now having undertaken the challenge for a second consecutive year, the team at Dales Marine Services hopes to make the cycle an annual event, as they seek to support local charities and the essential work they do for the people of Greenock and across Scotland and the UK.
Ardgowan Hospice, located in Inverclyde, provides comprehensive care for patients diagnosed with life-short conditions, and the MSA Trust is the UK and Ireland's leading charity supporting people affected by MSA.
Billy Pollock, Operations Manager at Dales Marine Services, said: “We are proud to have hosted our second charity cycle around Great Cumbrae, raising much needed funds to support Ardgowan Hospice and the Multiple System Atrophy Trust.
“Despite the weather faced during the event, the team taking part did an incredible job and should be proud of the £4,000 they raised, which will be split between the two charities. I would like to thank all those who took part in the bike ride and those who helped make the day possible, alongside all who donated to support our chosen worthy causes. We hope we can make this an annual event and do our part to support the people of the Greenock community and beyond.”
Great Cumbrae is the larger of the two islands known as The Cumbraes in the lower Firth of Clyde in western Scotland.
The charity cycle was supported by CalMac Ferries, which generously provided complimentary return ferry travel for those taking part, alongside On Your Bike in Millport, which offered discounted cycle hire.
Billy continued: “This charity event plays an important part of our support for the wider Greenock and Inverclyde community, which also includes regular engagement with local schools and colleges, showcasing the varied career opportunities available in the ship repair and maintenance industry.”