Parent company of distributor PWS, Danesmoor Group has raised more than £40,000 for Dementia UK by cycling across Italy.
A team of 10 colleagues, from the Newton Aycliffe-based company, participated in a coast-to-coast cycling challenge.
The five-day mission, with a route through the Tuscan hills from Rimini to Pisa, covered 400km (248.5miles) in a bid to raise money for the company’s chosen charity of the year.
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The ride not only saw riders battling steep gradients and off-road terrain, but also torrential rain and severe flooding due to some of the worst weather Italy has suffered in over 200 years.
“The Tuscan Country-side is well-known for its mountainous land, but I don’t think we quite envisaged how tough this would be”, commented rider Gillian Tulip-Gales.
“It really has been emotionally, physically, and mentally challenging, but nothing more than someone living with Dementia and their families must go through on a day-to-day basis.
“Finishing the ride to over £40,000 was incredibly bittersweet and I truly hope our efforts this week can go a small way to helping as many people as possible that will be affected by this heart-breaking disease in the future.”
The journey has been documented on the PWS Instagram account @PWSDistributors and donations can be made via a dedicated justgiving page.