For the third consecutive year, colleagues from Barchester Healthcare’s care homes and hospitals have put themselves through the Tour de Barchester, a gruelling 200 mile cycling challenge, all in the name of charity. Their aim is to raise money for Barchester’s Charitable Foundation which supports older people and other adults living with a disability or mental health problems by helping them to connect or re-connect with others in their local communities.
Over four days a team of care home workers and directors cycled across Barchester’s Central Division from Johnstown in Camarthen to Wallingford in Oxfordshire stopping at 14 care homes to meet well-wishers, have a well-earned break and refuel before continuing on their way. They were joined and supported by suppliers, sponsors, staff members and residents from different homes and teams as the Tour passed through.
This year, the Tour de Barchester coincided with a wider initiative for Barchester’s Foundation, a week of fundraising activity called Barchester Get Moving where all Barchester’s 261 homes and hospitals plus support offices logged their ‘move minutes’ and got stuck into all kinds of different fundraising activities to show their support. Barchester colleagues logged a total of 671,778 move minutes or 466 days in one week alone!
Shona Conway, Tour de Barchester Project Coordinator, said: “Last year the Tour de Barchester raised over £26,000 which was brilliant but we were determined to beat that target. I am delighted to say that so far this year with the additional help of all our homes supporting us during Get Moving week we have raised a staggering £54,699 which is just wonderful and money is still coming in! I am so proud and so grateful to all the homes and colleagues that welcomed us en route and helped us fundraise. I also have say massive thanks to our superb support crew and our generous sponsors who are absolute superstars. Bring on Tour de Barchester 2025!”
Chairperson of Barchester’s Charitable Foundation, Commercial Director and core Tour de Barchester team cyclist, Simon McCall, commented: “It is wonderful to be involved in this brilliant initiative for the third year running, it’s definitely one of the highlights of my year. The best part is being able to visit so many of our homes and meet the teams and residents, everyone is so welcoming and we are so very grateful for all their support. It is a huge team effort by everyone involved and the funds raised will help to support and connect so many vulnerable and isolated people in our local communities. This year we had the added bonus of Barchester Get Moving week which added to the fun and I am amazed by the amount we have all raised, it really is phenomenal and will go to help so many good causes.”
