Earl’s charity offer: “Come drink with me!”
Northamptonshire businesses are being invited to be guests of honour at a free drinks reception at Althorp, courtesy of an impromptu gesture by The Earl Spencer at the 2012 launch of the county’s favourite annual bike ride, Cycle 4 Cynthia.The Earl’s exclusive offer came after feeling moved by the efforts of the Northampton-based building services firm Briggs and Forrester in the 2011 ride. They picked up the ‘biggest team’ prize from Karen, Countess Spencer at the launch held at Franklin’s Gardens earlier this month (Weds, 1st Feb) with 74 riders. They also raised nearly four thousand pounds of the record-breaking sponsorship total of £47k in aid of The Friends of Cynthia Spencer Hospice and Macmillan Cancer Support in the county.
On hearing the pledge of the team captain, Briggs and Forrester’s Commercial Director Alec Sarjeant, that they would have over a hundred cyclists in this year’s ride, Lord Spencer rose unexpectedly to his feet and laid down the gauntlet; “My wife and I are delighted to be able to host this wonderful ride at our home again this year and we would like to throw a drinks party for the largest corporate team and their partners to say ‘well done’. Both charities deserve all the support we can give them and, because we really do want to make this the best Cycle 4 Cynthia yet, we hope that this will act as a real incentive to some of the county’s businesses to take part.”
Among those in the audience who were heard to gasp at the spontaneous offer was Sue Bownass from The Friends of Cynthia Spencer Hospice. “What a truly fantastic gesture!” she said. “None of us saw that coming! We can’t thank the Earl and Countess enough for their support and this just goes to show that they really care about the event and the difference the money raised can make to our work at the hospice and that of Macmillan locally. Fingers crossed we can top 1000 riders this year and break yet more records – and with this reward for the biggest corporate team up for grabs, we can surely do it!”
The offer was the Earl and Countess’ second big announcement of the evening, having earlier revealed that they are expecting their first child together in July.
Cycle 4 Cynthia 2012 will take place at Althorp on Sunday 23rd September. For more details on how to enter a team from your business or to pledge sponsorship, please email annamurby@hotmail.com.