Volvo Buses

UNITED KINGDOM & IRELAND

Directors to tackle Coast to Coast challenge for Teenage Cancer Trust

The six Directors at Volvo Bus are set to complete a gruelling Coast to Coast challenge over a three day period to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT) Warwickshire Appeal.
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TCT exists to help improve the lives of the 2,100 teenagers and young adults struck down each year with cancer. It helps provide specialist care for youngsters faced with a possibly life threatening illness, who might otherwise be receiving treatment in inappropriate facilities with inadequate support.

Volvo Bus is fully committed to attempting to raise £100,000 towards a new state of the art cancer unit that would directly benefit youngsters in the Warwickshire region. All six members of the Volvo Bus executive team have been recruited to travel the 102 mile journey between Ilfracombe and Plymouth, firstly by bike and then by foot.

The Coast to Coast cycle and walk forms part of greater charity initiative by Volvo aiming to provide fund raising events across 2010 and beyond.

Starting in Ilfracombe the Directors will take to their bikes and complete a 61 mile ride to Okehampton, where they will rest up for the evening, before setting off on a 19 mile walk to Tavistock on the second day. The final day will see the intrepid six complete the final 21 miles by foot to arrive at their final destination – Plymouth.

With varying degrees of fitness and experience the six will have their work cut out to complete the tough challenge, however with such a superb and worthy goal to achieve, nothing is likely to stop the challengers.

The money raised will be a substantial investment towards the £1 million needed to fund the development of the new cancer unit planned at Birmingham Children’s hospital. The development could prove vital in making a real difference towards the lives of youngsters who already have such major issues to deal with at such a young age.

Speaking before the event, Volvo Bus Managing Director Steve Dewhurst said, “It is a staggering statistic that in the last 30 years the incidence of cancer in the teenage and young adult group has increased by 50% and that more teens than children are being diagnosed with cancer.

“This event gives Volvo Bus the opportunity to support the local region and hopefully go someway to providing a facility that would no doubt make a huge difference to the lives of so many young people afflicted with cancer.

“All our staff were greatly moved when we had the opportunity to see at first hand the excellent work that the Trust is doing. We decided that TCT should be the company’s official charity and that we should put the pedal to the floor and get all of our stakeholders actively involved.

“The Coast to Coast challenge is one of several events planned for this year and we are all looking forward to the challenge and raising some of that much needed money. Hopefully we can call upon the goodwill of our many friends throughout the industry to support us”.

The six Volvo Bus Directors taking part in the event are Steve Dewhurst (Managing Director), Nick Page (Coach Sales Director), Phil Owen (Bus Sales Director), Ian Downie (Product Director), Gordon Reid (Business Control Director) and Andy Kunze (Customer Service Director).

For more information about Teenage Cancer Trust and how you can get involved in the Appeal contact Pam Matthews at Volvo Bus (pam.matthews@volvo.com) or visit the donation site www.teenagecancertrust.org/sponsor/VolvoBusCoasttocoast

Image Caption:  “Front row: Andy Kunze, Steve Dewhurst, LA Fitness’s Jake Lee, Gordon Reid. Back row: Phil Owen, Ian Downie, Nick Page.”