Morris Site Machinery CEO Chris Morris rose to the challenge when he cycled 150 miles on one of the hottest days of the year in aid of Alzheimer’s Society.
He joined his brother, Robin Morris, and an intrepid band in tackling a route from Holyhead to Shrewsbury to mark the 150th anniversary of parent company Morris & Company and support its charity of the year.
The efforts of the 36-strong group of colleagues and friends generated £8,000 in sponsorship – with donations still coming in.
After taking in dramatic valleys, Welsh coastline and winding country lanes, Chris finished the ride in under 12 hours and, along with Robin and fellow cyclists, was greeted by a welcome party and commemorative medals as they arrived back at Morris’s head quarters in Shrewsbury.
Chris said: “I’m an active sportsman but I don’t normally cycle so I trained hard to ensure I was ride-fit! With the distance involved, the terrain and the heat it felt tough at times and we had to dig deep, but there was great support along the way.
“The camaraderie and the inspirational cause kept me going on a memorable day. I think it will be a while before I get back on the bike again though!”
There are 850,000 people with dementia in the UK, with numbers set to rise to over 1 million by 2025. Some 225,000 will develop dementia this year, that’s one every three minutes. Staff at the Morris Site Machinery base at Four Ashes in Wolverhampton and its SMC production facility in Gosberton, Lincolnshire, were among those who kindly donated to the ongoing fundraising effort.
Lisa Courtney, Alzheimer’s Society’s Community Fundraiser for Staffordshire & Shropshire, added: “Cycling 150 miles to raise funds is a fantastic achievement. We’re very grateful to the participants and supporters and appreciate their efforts to raise awareness and unite against dementia. With such public support we can fund research to improve care for people today and find a cure for tomorrow.”
