And Finally….

Richard Hutton writes…

So that was the Great Bakery Bike Ride. 

Strangely enough I do feel a little sorry that it’s over, it seems very odd not to be out on a bike today.  I’m really glad to be home to my family now, and I’m delighted with the amount of money we’ve raised.  And I did love every minute of the journey.

Travelling around the country with so many wonderful colleagues and friends has been a real privilege.  It has of course taken a bit of effort as well, but the knees and backside will recover soon enough.  All of that now seems almost inconsequential compared with the overwhelming feeling of pride I have in having seen so many people get on bikes, or support friends and colleagues to get on bikes, and achieve things they didn’t realise they could.

The money may take a couple more days to count up as our shops assess what our customers have donated (in the teeth of a recession let’s remember) but we know that the total of all donations to the Great Bakery Bike Ride is at least £40k.  We’ll make a real difference to children across the country through BBC Children in Need and should be able to open an additional 10-15 Breakfast Clubs – a wonderful legacy.

There are so many people to thank for making this happen:
•   All of you who so generously donated – friends, colleagues, family, and those who gave through our shops and directly to us on the route.  I’ll always remember the elderly lady who emptied her purse into Robin’s hands.
•   Our bakeries, including GDS, for giving us such wonderful welcomes as we passed through and managed to raise funds whilst also supporting us with the logistics of moving so many riders and bikes around.
•   The support drivers, who kept us fed and watered whilst coping with all the inevitable incidents and accidents that occur along the way.  We really relied on you.
•   Our shop colleagues, who rattled the collection buckets once again and welcomed us where we stopped.
•   The riders: Robin and Paul for your ever-present support and great company; my fellow board members and colleagues from around the country (particularly those who led the way) and Mr Daley Thompson, who was a great encouragement to everyone who rode with him.
•   GSK for the Lucozade drinks, bars and gels that fuelled us along the way – they complemented our own supply of fresh-baked buns and cakes!
•   Gratterpalm, Steel and Biss Lancaster for promoting what we were trying to do, and our very own Natalie Hopper who quietly made sure things happened.
•   Michelle Dobson, who held the whole thing together brilliantly and coped cheerfully with everything thrown at her.  You should feel very proud of what we achieved Michelle.
•   The support team – Melanie, Steve, Richard, Jackie, David and Janet for logistics, fundraising, safety and generally good advice.
•   And our families.  Jo, Hayley and Alicia, you’ve made it possible for us to go and do this.  And Sarah Leaver – you were very, very brave.

So what now?  People keep asking me if we’ll do it all again next year!  It feels like we have the start of something special, so many people have enjoyed cycling and all the benefits that go with it.  We’ve proved that our bakeries aren’t so far apart really, and once again revealed the wonderful spirit that exists amongst Greggs people.

We’ll certainly do something and I’d love to hear your thoughts on what that might be.  In the meantime if you haven’t tried the Cycle to Work scheme it’s a great way to get cycling and reduce your car usage.

So thank you for the fun, the fundraising and the sheer effort you put into this great event.  I am really proud of everyone who got involved. 

One more thing to come – the grand total……  Watch this space!  Richard

and a message from Paul Ryan to his fellow 900-milers:

Richard and Robin,
Just turned on my computer after our ten day “holiday”, as Mrs Ryan calls it!  Went straight to the BakeryBikeRide blog to remind myself of our journey, and the memories of fantastic welcomes and smiley people came flooding back!

I thoroughly enjoyed our bakery bike ride and am really grateful you asked me to join in. 
I’m also very grateful you came back in one piece Richard!

I feel I’ve known Greggs for 27 years…the Gosforth finish today reminded me of visits in the ‘80s as a young auditor, Alicia has been with you since the early ‘90s and for the last three years Malcolm Simpson, your predecessor Richard, has been on the Board of Excelsyn.  Most importantly, since my student days I’ve been a loyal customer!

Having visited your bakeries and many of your shops and having had the great pleasure of cycling with loads of your colleagues and meeting support crews along the way, I think your business is full of fabulous people, who reflect perfectly the values which Greggs is known for.  This bike ride has demonstrated the massive enthusiasm and support your company has for getting behind good causes.  It was a privilege to be part of it.

So rest up my friends, for that’s what I’ll be doing.……and remember Robin, that at the top of every big hill is a great view!
Paul