Two colleagues from Vertu Motors plc were wished ‘bon voyage’ by the BBC’s Children in Need mascot Pudsey as they set off on a 210 mile walk to raise money for the charity.
Over five days, the Vertu Motors graduates Tom Kirton and Jonny Urwin, who are both from Tyneside, will walk from Vertu Motors’ Team Valley Central Support Centre to Bristol Street Motors’ first ever dealership in Birmingham in aid of BBC’s Children in Need.
The walk is part of Vertu Motors’ Central Support Centre initiative to support the BBC’s Children in Need, with Tom and Jonny hoping to raise significant funds for Pudsey’s purse.
Vertu Motors plc is an official partner of the BBC’s Children in Need and all of its dealerships regularly participate in fund raising activities for the charity prior to the official day, as well as on the day itself.
Along the way Jonny and Tom will visit dealerships in Durham, Knaresborough, Leeds, Barnsley, Sheffield, Lichfield, Burton upon Trent and Derby, before making their final journey to the birthplace of Bristol Street Motors in Birmingham.
They will be joined by colleagues from the various dealerships and members of the public who will walk with the pair on their journey to the next stop.
Johnny Urwin said: “It was fantastic to be seen off by Pudsey, we hope we can raise lots of money for him. We’ll be walking for 210 miles over five days, which works out at about 14 hours of walking time per day, so I imagine we’ll be exhausted by the end, but it will be worth it if we can help Children in Need.”
Tom added: “The fund raising has started well and we hope that by the time we reach Birmingham we will have raised even more.
“The BBC’s Children in Need does fantastic work and we’re both really proud that we’re able to contribute towards such a worthwhile cause – we just hope that the weather holds out for us!”
If you’d like to join Jonny and Tom, or contribute towards their total, please visit their Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/vertu-motors/