
Three colleagues for Handforth based Equilibrium Financial Planning have completed a 456-mile charity cycle challenge across Portugal.
Financial planners Andrew Hirst, Jason Lowe and Dave McKendrick spent six days cycling from Chaves in the country’s north to Faro in the south, reaching elevations of 960 metres, in temperatures up to 32 degrees.
Each cyclist was able to raise £7,000 for their chosen charities: Reuben’s Retreat, which supports families of complexly poorly children and families of child loss; Claire’s House, a children’s hospice; and My Name’5 Doddie which seeks to help sufferers of motor neurone disease.
The charity cycle across Portugal adds to Equilibrium’s ongoing fundraising efforts: last financial year, the firm donated over £150,000 and has raised a total of £600,000 to date through challenges undertaken by colleagues as well as quarterly community support donations through the firm’s own charitable arm, The Equilibrium Foundation.
Dan Halliday, a fundraiser at Claire House Children’s Hospice, said:
“We are extremely grateful to Andrew, Jason and Dave for undertaking such a gruelling challenge. The money they raised through their pedal power will help us reach more seriously and terminally ill children in the local area, we cannot thank them enough.”
Andrew Hirst, financial planner at Equilibrium Financial Planning, said:
“We are truly proud of our cycling achievement, but knowing we’ve made a difference to each charity is exceptionally humbling. The pandemic and lockdowns had such a detrimental impact on charities’ funds and being able to play a part in supporting them made the hills and flat tyres worth it.”