Local rail company helping City supporters and PCUK
First Great Western, our local rail company who provide services to London, Penzance and all over the South West, are great supporters of the Grecians.
So when Barbara Fearn, Assistant to General Manager West, heard about the efforts being made by the club to support the Football League’s chosen charity – Prostate Cancer UK (PCUK) – she contacted us to see how FGW could help.
Part of the Grecians’ fundraising to support this worthwhile cause has been taken up by three intrepid cyclists, who have accepted the challenge of cycling 150 miles from London to Amsterdam in just two days, part of a national ride organised by the Football League.
Our team of three – Richard Horne, who works in our back office on the Exeter City Foundation, Graham Heysett, a steward on the Big Bank on matchdays, and Liz Hodges, proprietor of the cycle-themed Route 2 Café in Topsham and Grecian Season Ticket holder – will join 150 others leaving from Leyton Orient’s Matchroom Stadium on Brisbane Road in East London on this adventure.
FGW were able to support the cause by donating rail tickets to get our troika to London in style. So the threesome will be travelling up to town this Thursday, in preparation for an early start on Friday morning. The picture shows our team with Barbara Fearn from FGW handing over the tickets at Exeter St Davids station last week.
Barbara said: “We at First Great Western are committed to supporting the communities we serve, whether that is providing additional services to ensure our customers can support their team, or helping our own heroes raise money for a good cause.
“I am delighted that we, in some small way, have been able to help support the intrepid three and wish them all the luck over the coming weekend.”
This Friday will see the cyclists pedal nearly 90 miles to the port of Harwich on the Suffolk coast, where they will take the overnight ferry to the Hook of Holland. Saturday sees the riders covering a further 60 or so miles, mainly on cycle tracks as the Dutch are well geared up for cyclists. The ride ends at the iconic Amsterdam Arena, the Dutch national stadium and home of AFC Ajax, reigning Dutch champions.
With the World Cup starting in just over a week’s time, this event is a great way of showing a bit of European solidarity, as the football-supporting riders are sure to get a great welcome from the footie-mad Dutch public. Let’s hope we don’t meet the Netherlands on the pitch, unless it’s the final!
Our cyclists have been planning and training for the ride for several months, this is the culmination of much fundraising effort too – between them they have raised over £4,000 for PCUK already. It’s not too late to make a donation, you can do this by clicking here.
Thank for your support to this worthwhile cause.