National Grid team completes 411km Blyth to Bicker Fen charity ride
- Fourteen National Grid employees cycled between two of National Grid's interconnectors, raising over £20,000 for MASKS (Make a Special Kid Smile) and Primrose Hospice.
A team of fourteen cyclists completed the 411km bike ride from Blyth to Bicker Fen, in-between two of National Grid’s interconnectors, raising over £20,000. The cyclists travelled from North Sea Link in Blyth to Viking Link in Bicker Fen over a three-day period. The route traverses the North York Moors and the Lincolnshire Wolds, crossing the Tyne and the Humber rivers.
North Sea Link connects the UK with Norway and Viking Link connects the UK with Denmark.
- Day 1: Blyth to Helmsley – 151km
- Day 2: Helmsley to Market Rasen – 160km
- Day 3: Market Rasen to Bicker Fen – 100km
National Grid match-funded the charitable contributions by almost £10,000 in donations, equivalent to £400 per cyclist team. Additional donations of £2,000 each were made by BritNed and Nemo Link.
The fourteen cyclists had a seven-person support team as they crossed the country and were greeted by colleagues from across National Grid, along with representatives from MASKS and Primrose Hospice, upon their arrival at Viking Link in Bicker Fen.
Phil Sandy, Operations Director – Interconnectors and one of the cyclists said: “As a business that touches every corner of the country, working with local communities is at the heart of what National Grid does. I'm delighted that the team has been able to raise so much money for such important causes, while also achieving such a physical feat.”
Bradley Taylor, Principal of The Vale Federation of Special Schools, which MASKS directly supports, said: “The children and young people attending our schools have severe and profound learning difficulties, and so will greatly benefit from the funds raised. Every penny raised for MASKS by the National Grid will go to funding communication devices which allow individuals to have a voice and be heard, such a fundamental human function. Everyone associated with the school community is extremely grateful to be the beneficiary of this charity ride – thank you National Grid!”.
Adam Siviter, Fundraising Manager at Primrose Hospice, said: “All of us at Primrose are thrilled and delighted that the team of National Grid cyclists chose our charity as one of their beneficiaries from their fundraising. We want to sincerely thank them for their efforts, which will help us to continue supporting patients with life-limiting illnesses and families, providing them with the care and support they need during difficult times.”
Notes to editors
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Contacts
For more information or interviews, please contact Joshua Atkins, Senior External Affairs Manager on 07933523233 or [email protected].
About Viking Link
Viking Link is the world’s longest land and subsea interconnector – stretching for 475 miles between the UK and Denmark, enabling the two countries to share electricity.
The link is a joint venture between National Grid and the Danish system operator Energinet. It has a capacity of 1.4GW, which can provide enough electricity for up to 2.5 million UK homes.
Find out more about Viking Link
About North Sea Link
North Sea Link is the world’s longest subsea interconnector – stretching for 450 miles between the UK and Norway, enabling the two countries to share electricity.
The link is a joint venture between National Grid and the Norwegian system operator Statnett. It has a capacity of 1.4GW, which can provide enough clean electricity for up to 2.5 million UK homes.
Find out more about North Sea Link
About National Grid Ventures
National Grid Ventures operates outside of National Grid’s core regulated businesses in the UK and US where it develops, operates and invests in energy projects, technologies and partnerships to accelerate the development of our clean energy future.
National Grid Ventures operates a diverse portfolio of energy assets across the UK and US, including subsea electricity interconnectors, competitive transmission, wind and solar generation, battery storage and LNG storage and regasification.
Find out more about National Grid Ventures
National Grid in the UK
We own and operate the electricity transmission network in England and Wales, with day-to-day responsibility for balancing supply and demand. We also operate, but do not own, the Scottish networks. Our networks comprise approximately 7,200 kilometres (4,474 miles) of overhead line, 1,500 kilometres (932 miles) of underground cable and 342 substations.
Other UK activities mainly relate to businesses operating in competitive markets outside of our core regulated businesses; including interconnectors and a liquefied natural gas (LNG) importation terminal – all of which are now part of National Grid Ventures. National Grid Property is responsible for the management, clean-up and disposal of surplus sites in the UK. Most of these are former gas works.
