Ten workers from the new Musgrove Hospital building project in Somerset will have earned their vintage tea break today. The intrepid construction workers are cycling 97.3 miles in one day between the regional offices of BAM Construction in Bristol and Exeter to raise money for children’s charity Barnardo’s. As they pass through Taunton they will be served cuppas and cake by health trust boss Steve Power in his other guise as the Great British Tea Party. The giant journey which starts at the Bristol Suspension Bridge and takes in the scenic Cheddar Gorge is the concluding part of a nine-leg relay between BAM’s Edinburgh and Exeter offices. Western leg organiser for the challenge, Nigel Harris said: “This is the final leg of the challenge, and one of the longest as well. “We will be delighted to see Mr Power and his vintage Morris Minor van serving some much needed refreshments. “The collaboration between contractor and client on this charity event shows the excellent working relationship we have built up on the hospital project.” Harris will be joined by colleagues Chris Malone, Paul McCluskey, Chris Wiltshire, Chris Lewis, Keith Wilden, Chris Gallimore, Graham Holt, Christian Parton and Will Higginbottom. Between them the team has worked on projects all over the West Country, such as the Bridgwater schools, M-Shed in Bristol, the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, and many others. The overall challenge began in Edinburgh at 8am on Monday 10 September and cyclists will have clocked up over 700 miles by the time the relay reaches Exeter. It has already raised in excess of £40,000 for Barnardo’s, which works with more than 190,000 children, young people and their families every year. BAM’s original target of £26,000 has been smashed by the success of the cycle challenge. BAM is replacing the 1940s Musgrove Hospital buildings with a state-of-the-art, three-storey facility accommodating 112 single bedrooms.
The contractor also recently completed the refurbishment of the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter, a scheme that won the Museum of the Year award.
To donate visit: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/BAMBarnado
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