On the 21st and 22nd November, around 100 members of staff from 4Com have volunteered to take part in a 24-Hour Virtual Cycle for charity, covering the distance from Paris to Bournemouth…and hopefully far beyond!
The two worthy beneficiaries are national charity, Alzheimer’s Society, and local Dorset charity, MYTime. Both were selected as a result of nominations submitted by 4Com staff, followed by a company-wide vote. Each charity will receive a 50/50 split of funds raised. Head of the 4Com Foundation, Dean Cartledge, said, “We are proud to be supporting two incredibly worthy causes, both national and local. Sadly, dementia is a devastating disease that several of our staff have a personal connection to, so we are raising as much money as we can for Alzheimer’s Society. Additionally, with over 400 young carers in the local Bournemouth area alone, we would like to donate funds to MYTime in support of their Outdoor Centre Project in Dorset. This will allow heroic young carers to have fun, build life skills and ultimately act like kids again!”
Sadly, hundreds of young carers across Dorset and Hampshire say they miss out on what other children their age are doing because of their caring role, which often includes cooking, cleaning, and school work; 48% of young carers say this role makes them feel stressed. By supporting MYTime, these selfless individuals will be able to visit the charity’s Outdoor Centre in Worth Matravers, Dorset, interact socially with their peers and get back some of their own childhood. £200 pays for a young carer to spend a few days at the Centre, with £1,000 paying for fun-packed activities at the Centre for up to 20 young carers. In total, it costs £32,000 a year to run the Outdoor Centre.
Krista Cartlidge, Executive Director at MYTime, said, “As a result of their responsibilities in caring for their loved ones, young carers report experiencing high levels of stress and worry. Our Outdoor Centre breaks are an opportunity for young carers to have fun, make friends and to take some time for themselves. This provides an invaluable opportunity for young carers to meet other young people who share some of the same experiences, helping to combat the loneliness young carers report feeling as a result of their caring responsibilities. The money raised by the incredible staff at 4Com will help us continue to provide this crucial support to young carers from across Bournemouth.”
Taking a closer look at our national charity beneficiary, recent news has stated that dementia is the leading cause of death in the UK, overtaking heart disease and stroke in 2015. Someone develops the disease every three minutes and there is currently no cure. Alzheimer’s Society state that we must confront the biggest health and social care challenge of our time and raise funds for those currently living with dementia, whilst conducting research to find a cure. Alzheimer’s disease is a physical disease that affects the brain. Additionally, dementia is not a natural part of ageing – over 40,000 people under 65 in the UK have the disease.
The 24-Hour Virtual Cycle will see a total of 4 static bikes, each with a TV screen showing the journey from Paris to Bournemouth. Each volunteer will take on a 30-minute cycle slot with as much peddle-power as possible. Krista Cartlidge from MYTime will proudly be kicking things off with a stint on the bike!
The 4Com Foundation will be putting £10 into the pot for every kilometre cycled, as well as match funding pound for pound the total amount raised. We are aiming to smash the Paris to Bournemouth target and raise even more funds for both causes. To donate, please visit the JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/4com-virtual-cycle
There is a buzz around the 4Com office in preparation for the event, which will be live-streamed across all floors of the building. Charity work is a central theme to everything we do here at 4Com, with over £250,000 donated to local and national charities since 2014.
