AFC Bournemouth Commercial Director Rob Mitchell is looking to form a new ‘B’ team.
Rob has signed up to ride in the Heartbeat Cycle Ride 2017 through the Test Valley on September 10 – and he’s looking for ‘Bike-Mad Business People’ to join him.
Rob said: “I’ll be tackling the 40-mile route to raise funds for one of the club’s official charities – Dorset Cancer Care Foundation (DCCF).
“AFC Bournemouth has been supporting DCCF all year. It’s a really great charity which offers financial help to people in Dorset who are struggling because of cancer.
“I’ll be contacting all our AFC Business members and asking them to take part and I’d like to extend the offer to the wider business community too. This is an exciting ride through beautiful countryside which will be raising money for some very worthy charities.”
The Wessex Heartbeat charity, which organises the bike ride, supports the work of the acclaimed Wessex Cardiac Centre at Southampton General Hospital.
Wessex Heartbeat has recently partnered up with Dorset Cancer Care Foundation and has agreed for all the money raised by AFC Business riders to be split equally between the two charities.
Riders choose from either a 70 mile or 40 mile route, which trail through the picturesque Test Valley area from Romsey through to Winchester and Salisbury and back to Romsey.
Chris Thomas, Chairman of DCCF, said: “We are immensely grateful to Rob and AFC Business for their support in this event.
“We hope many cyclists will come forward and take part, knowing their efforts will make a huge difference to people living with cancer here in Dorset.”
John Munro, CEO of Wessex Heartbeat, said: “The ride grows in popularity every year, attracting people of all riding abilities from all over the region, as well as many doctors and clinicians from Southampton General Hospital.
“We are very excited at the prospect of welcoming a team from AFC Business.”
Registration for the cycle ride costs £15 for the 40-mile ride and £20 for the 70-mile ride and riders are asked to raise at least £100 through sponsorship.
Sign up to the Wessex Heartbeat cycle ride at: Heartbeat Cycle Ride 2017
Riders taking part with AFC Business for DCCF are asked to notify the charity by emailing: admin@dccf.co.uk
Media information, please contact Debbie Granville, Deep South Media, tel: 01202 534487 or email: debbie.granville@deepsouthmedia.co.uk
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DCCF was founded four years ago and has made grants totalling hundreds of thousands of pounds to Dorset people facing financial difficulties because of cancer.
Since it began 25 years ago, Wessex Heartbeat has raised almost £16m for the cardiac unit at Southampton General Hospital, funding projects including the Young Adult Cardiac Centre and a £1 million refurbishment of the children’s ward.
In 2017 it will set up a new Cardiac Day Case Unit and a Heartbeat Health Suite, as well as helping to educate hundreds of the region’s children on how to be ‘heart healthy’ through the LifeLab programme.
