Pictured: RBS Winning Team
Hundreds of runners from businesses across the region have put
their best foot forward to take part in the UK's largest corporate
relay race and take the total raised for charity soaring towards
the quarter of a million pound mark.
Over 50 companies from across the Midlands took part in the
ninth annual Cooper Parry Corporate Challenge to compete in its
half-marathon relay event.
The race, which is organised by business advisory firm Cooper
Parry, which has offices in Derby, Nottingham and Derby raised over
£25,000 for charity which means the event has now raised just
under £250,000 since it began in 2003.
The overall winner of the 2011 event was the RBS Group who
completed the relay in a record time of 1hr 23:18 with second place
going to Aldi Stores who came in at 1hr 23:51.
Two teams were awarded prizes for raising the most money for
charity - Enterprise Rent a Car who raised £2,000 for
Treetops Hospice and Adamson Jones who raised £1,200 for the
events supported charity, The Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust.
Colin Shaw, chairman of Cooper Parry, said: "The Cooper Parry
Corporate Challenge has again proved to be a huge success and we
are delighted to take the total we have raised since we began
towards £250,000.
"As a firm, Cooper Parry would like to say a big thank you to
all the companies and individuals from the Midlands who went the
extra mile for the charity this year and we hope we can continue to
build on this success in 2012."
A total of 250 runners represented businesses from Nottingham,
Leicester and Derby during the race which took place alongside the
Experian Robin Hood half marathon route. The run sees each member
of the five-strong team run a leg of 2.5 miles along the Experian
Robin Hood half-marathon route.
Now in its ninth year, the Cooper Parry Corporate Challenge has
donated over £240,000 to charities including the Alzheimer's
Society, CLIC Sargent, the Fire Services National Benevolent Fund
and Headway, the brain injury association.
Some of the money raised this year will go towards The Dame
Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust which creates life chances for young
people and gives them the chance to work with, be inspired by, and
learn from the experience of world class sports stars.
Event organiser Melanie Campbell said: "It was a tremendous day
and great fun for all those who took part and came to watch. It's
fantastic to see all of the businesses competing with each other in
a fun environment, and at the same time raising much needed funds
for charity."
For more information about Cooper Parry, please visit their
website here: www.cooperparry.com