Bike ride fundraiser raises £10,000 for dementia charity

Colleagues from a large UK social landlord firm got their bike helmets on for a charity cycle.

The staff members from Platform Housing Group embarked on a 200-mile bike ride to raise more than £10,000 for Dementia UK, which was chosen as the company's charity of the year for 2024.

Gerraint Oakley, executive director for growth and development at Platform – and one of the cyclists - said: "This was a fantastic team effort and one which I was immensely proud to be part of.

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"As a social housing provider, we are always looking for opportunities to give back to our communities and this was a perfect example."

The cycle, on Wednesday 19 and Thursday, June 20, saw the colleagues take on the full two-day challenge.

The journey began at the southern edge of the Peak District and ended in Worcester, covering portions of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Warwickshire.

This marks the third consecutive year the firm has organised a charity cycle event.

Joanna Sullivan, head of community fundraising, events and innovation at the charity, said: "We are so grateful to Platform Housing Group for taking on this incredible challenge for Dementia UK.

"One in two of us will be affected by dementia in our lifetime, either by caring for someone with the condition, developing it ourselves, or both."

Dementia UK is a specialist nursing charity supporting families affected by dementia.

Currently, around 944,000 individuals in the UK are battling dementia, with others caring for loved ones.

The funds raised will help widen the reach of its free support services provided by specialist nurses.