London to Brighton pedal power raises £4,800
UK Power Networks’ employee Paul Denton helped the riders raise £4,800 in the London to Brighton off-road bike ride, which 17 staff participated in. Photo: UK Power Networks. Pic credit: UK Power Networks
A man from Bury St Edmunds has taken part in a 61-mile London to Brighton bike ride helping to raise £4,800 for the British Heart Foundation (the BHF).
He was one of 17 employees from UK Power Networks to take part in the event and raise the money.
The off-road challenge which took in the Thames Cycle Track, Weybridge, Shere, the South Downs Link, Southwater Country Park and Steyning, plus the the “monster climb” of Truleigh Hill with sea views towards the end of the route.
Paul Denton said: “A good friend of mine has recently undergone heart surgery to rectify a faulty valve, without the continued research into heart disease this type of life sustaining surgery would not be possible. I really wanted to raise money for the British Heart Foundation to support research into heart health and provide care to those impacted.”
Heart and circulatory diseases are one of the leading causes of death in the UK. The BHF funds research into conditions such as heart attack, stroke and vascular dementia, as well as their risk factors like diabetes and high blood pressure.
Jake Kavaliauskas, events executive at the BHF, said: “We would like to thank all the cyclists from UK Power Networks for all their efforts in completing this ride and fundraising for us. For more than 60 years, the public’s generosity has helped us fund research that has turned ideas that once seemed like ‘science fiction’ into treatments that save lives every day. And because of their support we will be able to keep that vital work going and discover the lifesaving breakthroughs of the future.”