Blue Light Cycle Club raises over £23k for SSAFA

04 October 2023

Bluelight Cycle Club (BLCC), fundraising partner of SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity has raised an incredible £23,545 with its first event – the “Tour de BT”.

BLCC, as its name suggests, is a cycling club for the police and fire services, the NHS, HM Coastguard, HM Prison Service, the RNLI, and UK Armed Forces. Earlier this year it pledged to raise thousands for SSAFA.

The cycling club’s inaugural fundraiser for SSAFA was a “three-day cycling extravaganza” taking staff from BT, North, and Empowered through the leafy lanes of Shropshire. Despite challenging weather, some 50 BLCC members took part.

Neil Turner, the co-founder of BLCC, said: “Working with our industry supporters, BT Defence, North and Empowered to raise much needed funds for SSAFA is a privilege. The support of James Anderton, Richard Green, Phil Reed ,and Alicia Cross ensures the success of these events.”

Lieutenant General Sir Andrew Gregory, SSAFA’s CEO, commented: “The effort put in by members of Blue Light Cycle Club during their ‘Tour de BT’ has been outstanding.

“They all deserve a special mention not just for the amount raised, but also for doing it in weather conditions that were less than ideal. But it’s just this kind of resilience demonstrated between our Armed and Emergency Forces that shows what a strong bond of shared respect and mutual support exists.

“This is why the partnership between SSAFA and Bluelight Cycle Club is so important, because the level of hard work and generosity shown go so far to making sure that SSAFA can carry on its work for serving personnel and veterans, whether Regulars or Reserves, and their families just as it has done since 1885 and will do long into the future.”

James Anderton, co-founder & CEO, Empowered, added. “The Empowered team relished the opportunity to once again get on their bikes and join forces with BT, with the amazing support of Bluelight Cycle Club, to raise vital funds for SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity. The inclement weather did little to dampen spirits and we were delighted to give our support to this important cause.”