Five riders from John Good Group joined this year’s challenge, with the Matthew Good Foundation adding £12,000 through Double Match funding and Champion Grants.
This year’s Bridge2Bridge cycling challenge has raised £50,088 for the Sailors’ Children’s Society. It is the event’s biggest total so far. Seventeen riders cycled 205 miles from the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge in Dartford to the Humber Bridge in Hull.
John Good Group CEO Adam Walsh started the challenge four years ago. Since then, it has grown every year as more riders have joined. Across all four years, Bridge2Bridge has now raised £106,982 for the charity.
Riders from John Good Group
Adam, Rich, Megan, Andy and Jack all took part this year. Together, they raised £8,672 in sponsorship.
Megan said: “B2B is truly one of the best events I have ever taken part in.” She added that crossing the Humber Bridge felt “unmatched”, especially knowing how much the team had raised for the charity.
Supporting employee fundraising
The John Good Group Employee Giving Programme is managed by the Foundation. It is designed to back the causes that employees care about, and it isn’t limited to staff. Close family members can take part too. Four of the five riders are direct employees. A fifth is married to a member of staff, so their fundraising was eligible for matching too.
This year, the Foundation contributed £12,000 in two ways:
- Double Match (£10,000). When employees or their close family raise money, the Foundation gives double the amount raised, up to £2,000 per person. The team’s combined fundraising was enough to unlock the maximum £10,000.
- Champion Grants (£2,000). Inspired by the riders, four colleagues at John Good Group chose to use their own £500 Champion Grant allowance to support the Sailors’ Children’s Society.
In total, the riders’ sponsorship and the Foundation’s funding came to £20,672 of this year’s £50,088.
Our programmes are designed to reward grassroots giving and community connection. The Sailors’ Children’s Society is a small charity, and employees chose to fundraise for it, so our funding went exactly where it could make a real difference. Small, grassroots organisations often have fewer routes to funding. For that reason, a few thousand pounds can go a long way.
Thanks from the team
Adam Walsh said: “I’m grateful to all the riders who have taken part over the four years, but I’m especially proud of the ones from John Good who have taken part. Special thanks to both the business, and the Matthew Good Foundation for supporting this initiative. It is hugely appreciated.”
Rhiannon Beeson, Interim CEO of Sailors’ Children’s Society, said: “A huge thank you to every rider, every person who donated, every business that supported us and everyone behind the scenes who made the weekend possible. It really is an incredible team effort.”
Thank you to everyone who sponsored a rider or gave what they could. If you would like to take part next year, keep an eye out for details of the 2027 challenge. In the meantime, you can see the Sailors’ Children’s Society’s upcoming events on their website: https://sailorschildren.org.uk/events/
