70,000 reasons to smile as JCB launches Platinum Jubilee Appeal

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Pictured left-to-right are JCB employees Sam Griffin, of Uttoxeter; Sam Collinge, of Uttoxeter; Harry Tomlinson, of Belper; Jamie Jeffery, of Leek; Aaron Turner, of Tamworth; Andy Whyman, of Uttoxeter; Keith Minor, of Cheadle; Daniel Millit, of Derby and Kevin Jackson, of Stafford as they kick start the appeal with a coast-to-coast cycle ride.

Pictured left-to-right are JCB employees Sam Griffin, of Uttoxeter; Sam Collinge, of Uttoxeter; Harry Tomlinson, of Belper; Jamie Jeffery, of Leek; Aaron Turner, of Tamworth; Andy Whyman, of Uttoxeter; Keith Minor, of Cheadle; Daniel Millit, of Derby and Kevin Jackson, of Stafford as they kick start the appeal with a coast-to-coast cycle ride.

JCB employees are embarking on a major fundraising drive for children’s charity the NSPCC with the launch of a £70,000 appeal.

The JCB NSPCC Platinum Jubilee Appeal starts this week and is set to run until 2022 to coincide with celebrations to mark the Queen’s historic 70-year reign.

Fund raising ideas are already flooding in and events kick off on Friday when a group of 10 JCB employees embark on a 129-mile coast-to-coast cycle ride from Barrow-in-Furness to Tynemouth. A team of 30 JCB NSPCC Platinum Jubilee Appeal charity champions is now busily co-ordinating the dozens of fundraising initiatives across JCB's 11 UK plants.

JCB’s support of the NSPCC stretches back to 1986 when Carole Bamford, wife of JCB Chairman Anthony Bamford, became involved with the charity when their three children were young. Lord Bamford has pledged to double the amount raised by employees.

Carole Bamford said: “JCB employees have always been enthusiastic and energetic supporters of the NSPCC over the past 35 years and have done so much to help children in Staffordshire. I’m delighted that as we launch the JCB NSPCC Platinum Jubilee Appeal, we have been inundated with so many wonderful ideas on how to raise money over the next 12 months.”

An NSPCC spokesperson said: “We are extremely grateful that JCB has chosen to donate the funds raised during the Platinum Jubilee campaign to the NSPCC and our vital work with children and families.”

Meanwhile, the group of 10 employees embarking on the marathon cycle ride on Friday and Saturday are aiming to raise £5,000 towards the appeal total.

JCB Senior Electrical Engineer Aaron Turner is organising the ride. He said: “We have a lot of riders who have never done 72 miles in one day before. It will be a mental battle as well as a physical one. We are riding to raise awareness and money in aid of the NSPCC. I have always been a keen fund-raiser – this is a great cause to support.”

Day one of the route will take the cyclists through the Lake District past Coniston, Windermere and Ullswater to Penrith up and over the Pennines to Alston the highest market town in England, and they will climb a total of 6,500 feet. Day two will see them cross the rest of the Pennines onwards to the North East – by which time they will have climbed more than 9,000 feet.

Joining Aaron, 30, of Tamworth, will be Group Engineering Director Andy Whyman, 49, of Uttoxeter; Principal Electrical Engineer Kevin Jackson, 47 of Stafford; Principal Electrical Engineer Jamie Jeffery, 41, of Leek; Electrical Engineer Daniel Millitt, 22, of Derby; Electrical Engineer Harry Tomlinson, 26, of Belper; Electrical Engineer Keith Minor, 49, of Cheadle; Electrical Engineer Sam Griffin, 23, Uttoxeter; Electrical Degree Apprentice Charlotte Lowe, 21, of Uttoxeter and Electrical Degree Apprentice Sam Collinge, 22, Uttoxeter.

JCB supports the NSPCC through the Newcastle-under-Lyme based Carole House – an NSPCC centre named after Lady Bamford in honour of JCB’s extensive support for the charity. It provides therapeutic support for children across North Staffordshire and was funded through a £2 million JCB NSPCC Appeal, which culminated in the official opening of the centre in 2014 by HRH The Countess of Wessex.