Over the course of the past couple of years, leading material supplier and supply chain solutions provider – thyssenkrupp Materials UK, reached a milestone achievement by proudly raising over £25,000.
This astounding amount was made possible by a dedicated team of 7 cyclists for the BIG Commute Challenge, 10 climbing participants for the BIG Climb Challenge and employees alike through the BIG Challenge fundraising initiatives throughout all nine of their UK sites.
The first BIG Challenge was introduced in September 2023 with the BIG Commute Cycling Challenge, where a team of 7 cyclists journeyed between seven of thyssenkrupp Materials UK sites, commencing at Swindon, through their headquarters in the West Midlands and concluding the challenge at their Centre of Excellence in Preston.
The cyclists raised a total amount of £10,450 in aid of Cancer Research UK through the BIG Commute Challenge, with funds raised going towards advancing cancer research and helping researchers get us closer to a world where cancer is no longer a life-threatening disease.
Mark Aylett, Head of Key Accounts at thyssenkrupp Materials UK, led the cycling team and through their hard work and determination, the cyclists were able to cover an impressive 356 miles and conquered a staggering 25,000 feet of climbing on just two wheels. Overjoyed, Mark expressed his excitement on completing the challenge:
“The BIG Commute was a fantastic challenge for us. Not only did we endure a physically demanding journey and harsh weather conditions at times, but we also had the immense satisfaction of knowing that our efforts were contributing to the fight against cancer. It was truly an inspiring experience to see our employees come together as one team to support this important cause."
In celebration of the cycling teams accomplishments and to further ignite their passion for taking on the challenge, thyssenkrupp Materials UK organised an array of celebratory afternoon teas and coffee morning fundraisers at every site that the cycling team visited. Additionally, colleagues joined in by logging miles on exercise bikes, showing their support and enthusiasm.
The second challenge, the BIG Climb Three Peaks Challenge, took place this year, in early September. The challenge consisted of a team of 10 climbers completing and walking up all three of the tallest summits in Scotland (Ben Nevis), England (Scafell Pike) and Wales (Snowdon) within 29 hours.
The team started their climbing journey with a large send off from their colleagues at the thyssenkrupp Materials UK Centre of Excellence in Preston. There were cakes, a variety of delicious food and raffle tickets on sale in efforts to raise more money, this time for another great charity - Dementia UK. Simon Fletcher, Business Excellence Director at thyssenkrupp Materials UK, also joined the climb at Snowdon and proudly stated:
“I give absolute credit to the work that the team have done and shown, the commitment that they’ve got to achieving this and all of the training that they had done some months beforehand. The fact that we have got people from every different site, from all the different functions, coming together to achieve the BIG Climb, just shows what we can do as One Team. If we put our mind to it and work hard, we can achieve great things”.
In total the climbing team completed:
- A total Walking Distance of 23 miles (37km)
- A total Ascent of 3064 metre (10,052ft)
- A total Driving Distance of 462 miles (743.5km)
Collectively, the cyclists, climbers, and all the rest of thyssenkrupp Materials UK workforce were able to raise over £25,000 for two charities that were voted for by their teams, making the challenges even more important to the company. Both events not only united the business, but also kept them committed to their mission of working together and live up to their value of collaboration.
In the future, thyssenkrupp Materials UK aims to further support a sequence of charities through the BIG Challenge fundraising initiatives.
About thyssenkrupp Materials UK:
thyssenkrupp Materials UK offers a vast range of products and a wealth of experience in sourcing and supplying products such as stainless steel, aluminium and mild steel. The company also provides a range of services, whether that’s fully welded and fabricated finished parts or bespoke flat products cut to exact sizes. To help reduce inventory and costs, the company specialises in supply chain management and logistics solutions. For more information, visit: https://www.thyssenkrupp-materials.co.uk/