Now in its third year, the Bridge to Bridge cycling challenge saw 13 riders including three from John Good Group and 10 from other Hull businesses complete 212 miles and raise over £30,000 for Sailors’ Children’s Society. The Matthew Good Foundation boosted the total by £8,000 through the employee giving programme, with £6,000 in double-matched fundraising and £2,000 in Champion Grants.
The Matthew Good Foundation is proud to have supported the Sailors’ Children’s Society Bridge to Bridge 2025 cycling challenge, which this year raised over £30,000 to support children and families from seafaring backgrounds facing financial and emotional hardship.
Now in its third year, the Bridge to Bridge challenge sees riders tackle 212 miles over two days, from the Severn Bridge in Bristol to the Humber Bridge in Hull. The event was founded in 2023 by Adam Walsh, CEO of John Good Group (JGG), who completed the route solo. Since then, it has grown into one of the Sailors’ Children’s Society’s key fundraising events, with 13 riders and a number of Hull-based businesses supporting the challenge in 2025.
The Matthew Good Foundation supported the event through the John Good Group’s employee giving programme, which amplified staff fundraising in two ways. First, the Foundation double-matches donations raised by employees, meaning the efforts of JGG riders were rewarded with an extra £6,000. Second, through its Champion Grants scheme, employees can nominate a small charity to receive a £500 grant. Inspired by their colleagues’ challenge, four JGG employees nominated the Sailors’ Children’s Society, adding a further £2,000.
This kind of support shows the ripple effect that an employee giving programme can have within a community. When colleagues take on a challenge like Bridge to Bridge, it inspires others to give and to nominate causes they care about. The Foundation’s role is to amplify that energy. By double-matching fundraising and awarding Champion Grants, we can make sure employee efforts go even further. For the Matthew Good Foundation, it is especially meaningful to support Sailors’ Children’s Society, a small but vital charity who we share a home with at Quarry House, and to see our whole community come together behind their valuable work.
“Over the two days, we saw some amazing teamwork and personal growth. It was incredible to watch Megan Tudor, one of the John Good Group riders, overcome her self-doubt. She only purchased a bike six months ago, and the longest ride she’d done was 60 miles. Her grit and determination to cross the finish line was very inspiring, and seeing her dad, Nick Tudor, and Simon Clarke ride alongside her on the second day, and everyone in the group cheering her on, was amazing. We had another rider, Rob Brocklesby, who came off his bike on the first day. We managed to get his bike fixed, and despite his injury, he got back on and rode the second day. The determination and resilience of the riders was truly inspirational. It’s no mean feat completing a challenge like this.
“A huge thank you to the 13 riders who took on the challenge. It’s a vast distance with hills, rain, and serious traffic around Gloucester thrown in the mix. It was truly humbling to go along and support them across the two days and see people push themselves sometimes beyond what they believed they were capable of. Our charity is only as strong as the people behind it, and it takes major grit and determination to do what these 13 incredible people have done.”
Natasha Barley, CEO of Sailors’ Children’s Society
“Seeing what Bridge to Bridge has grown into is just incredible. To have 13 riders from across different businesses and communities come together, push themselves to the limit, and raise over £30,000 this year is beyond what I could have imagined when I first did this in 2023. I’m really looking forward to seeing what can be achieved in 2026.
“The Sailors’ Children’s Society does life-changing work for families when they need it most, and I’m proud that Bridge to Bridge is now firmly part of their fundraising calendar. A huge thank you to every rider, sponsor, and donor who made this year’s event possible.”
Adam Walsh, CEO of John Good Group and founder of the Bridge to Bridge challenge
Bridge to Bridge will return on 11–13 September 2026. Registration is now open on the Sailors’ Children’s Society website: https://sailorschildren.org.uk/events/bridge2bridge2026/.
