Getting Active: all set for the coast-to-coast charity bike ride are, from left: Mark Dobing, Paul Gibson, Karl Pemberton and Andy Mitchell.
A Teesside team of financial advisors will live up to their company name when they get active on a gruelling coast-to-coast charity bike ride.
Staff and friends of Active Chartered Financial Planners are taking on a 140-mile bike ride from St Bees in Cumbria to Saltburn on the North-East coast.
As patrons of charitable movement, Middlesbrough and Teesside Philanthropic Foundation, the Active riders aim to raise cash for local community groups and charities.
Having done their calculations, the financial experts have set a £5,000 fundraising target.
The group is now in hard training for the challenge – though two of them are preparing alone. James Robertson, from Newcastle, is based in Finland, while Mark Rockliffe lives in Brighton.
However, Karl Pemberton, Karl Nendick, Paul Gibson, Mark Dobing, Andy Mitchell, Paul Lofts, Michael McCulloch, Phil Luke, Brett Clark and Miles Gibson are training as a team around the beautiful rural villages of Teesside and North Yorkshire
They will make the cross-country challenge on the weekend of May 15-17 with the support of Active and Handelsbanken, RMB Auto are providing support vehicles, while investment specialists Heartwood have provided them with special jerseys for the ride.
The group will enjoy well-earned overnight rests in Keswick and Barnard Castle along the route
Active managing director Karl Pemberton said: “While some of the group are experienced riders, this will be a real challenge for others so we’re putting the miles in to get ourselves into the best possible shape.
“Active have been supporting the Philanthropic Foundation for a number of years, as we love the work they do in providing opportunities and funding for people who would otherwise really struggle.
“Our lives have been enriched by our involvement in the Foundation, whether that’s been serving Christmas Day dinner to local people in need, sleeping out for a night in the fight against poverty or presenting awards to Teesside’s unsung community heroes.
“Now we’re on another adventure – and we’re already looking forward to a well-deserved pint and a bag of chips at the end of the ride in Saltburn!”
