FAR FLUNG WORKMATES GET IN STEP FOR CHARITY
News Release
Opus
• Specialist firm provides major boost to charity fund
• Opus workers contribute ten per cent of fundraising effort
• Orkney staff fly south to compete alongside Surrey colleagues
A specialist oil firm’s staff from opposite ends of the country have joined together to help raise thousands of pounds for charity.
An 11-strong team from Opus, which has its headquarters in Guildford, Surrey, and research facilities in Flotta, Orkney, took part in the 26-mile Surrey 3 Peaks Challenge to support the work of the Guildford YMCA, raising ten per cent of the money collected from the event.
Three members of staff - study director Rosalind Murphy, engineering technician Sam Archibald and retired senior chemist Mervyn Tait - flew hundreds of miles from the Northern Isles to the south of England to join colleagues in the endurance walking event.
While a lack of mountains in Orkney may have put the island contingent at a disadvantage, they were determined to help scale the heights in fundraising terms.
Together with their Guildford colleagues – managing director Nigel Weir; senior design engineer John Kingsbury; senior process engineer Colin Dow; senior process engineer Darshan Dhonsi; design engineer Mark Scullion; development engineer Tim Newton; operations coordinator Tina O'Shaughnessy and project engineer Lazina Chowdhury - they brought in £2,309 of the £23,200 raised from the event which featured 133 people in ten teams.
The money will provide a huge boost for the YMCA’s Capital Appeal, which now stands at £160,726.51 with a target to raise £500,000 This will be used to remodel the basement level of the Guildford YMCA to provide improved facilities for the 16-25 year-olds for whom the ‘Y’ is home, and for young people across the borough who take part in the centre’s youth projects.
Pete Brayne, the Guildford YMCA’s CEO, said: “This was a tremendous effort from Opus and we are particularly grateful to the three members of their team who travelled all the way from Orkney to take part in the challenge.
“Their contribution will go a long way to helping us towards our fundraising target”.
The teams had to battle heavy rain and mud to complete the route which took them along part of the Greensand Way, across Gibbet Hill in Hindhead, across to Holmbury Hill, on to Leith Hill, finishing at Abinger Common.
Nigel Weir said: “The Surrey 3 peaks Challenge was an excellent opportunity for Opus to support the wonderful work that the YMCA does assisting our fellow citizens to achieve stability and optimism for their future.
“Opus is committed to contributing to the community and I considered it a worthy investment for some of our team from beautiful Orkney to join us for a combined team effort in the lovely Surrey countryside.”
Rosalind Murphy from Orkney added: “It was a long way to go to take part but it was worth it. The day was fun and it was for a good cause.
“We couldn’t really train for a hill event in Orkney but we spent a lot of our spare time and weekends walking to prepare and ensure the blisters were a bit less painful on the day.”
End
For further information contact
John Ross
Lucid PR
01463 724593; 07730 099617
johnross@lucidmessages.com
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