Wheels for Change 2015 Raises More than £200,000 for The Prince’s Trust

More than 400 employees from across Barclays, including members of the Senior Leadership Group, challenged their cycling prowess earlier this month to raise money for The Prince’s Trust in the annual employee-led mass fundraising initiative, Wheels for Change.

From Wednesday 16 – Friday 18 September 2015 employees from across the bank took on elements of the 2014 Tour de France route and cycled various 100 mile+ cycling routes from Harrogate to London’s Olympic velodrome. This included a core group of 15 cyclists who braved the three day 325 mile challenge to cycle across some of the most arduous cycling terrain in the UK. There was an additional one day 100km London loop.

Wheels for Change 2015 has raised more than £200,000 and with fundraising still going strong, is on track to meet the 2015 £250,000 target, establishing the event as one of the largest employee-led initiatives to be delivered by any of The Prince’s Trust’s corporate partners.

Set up in 2011, Wheels for Change is an annual Barclays employee-led fundraising initiative, which to date has raised more than £1.2 million for charity.

Tushar Morzaria, Barclays Group Finance Director, said: “This was my first Wheels for Change event and I’m so proud to have been a part of what is now a major annual colleague fundraising initiative. It was great fun and I’m so glad that the weather was kind to us.  The months of organisation and level of participation reflect the commitment of our colleagues to supporting causes that they care about which truly highlights Barclays’ values in action.”

Shane Hawkins, Wheels for Change founder and Chief of Staff, Global Technology, added: “Since we started Wheels for Change four years ago, the event has grown in reach and popularity, with this year’s UK event seeing the greatest levels of colleague engagement to date.

“I’m proud of what we’ve achieved and would like to thank everyone involved, especially our sponsors. These events don’t happen on their own and it’s thanks to the hard work and dedication from a small group of individuals and crucial sponsorship that we’ve been able to make this event the success that it is today.” 

The UK event will be complemented by a Wheels for Change event in Asia this autumn which will see more than 150 participants join a 100km cycling challenge in Singapore; raising money for three local organisations; the Singapore Disability Sports Council, Rainbow Centre and Bizlink Centre.

Funds raised in the UK will go to The Prince’s Trust, one of Barclays’ UK charity partners. The Prince’s Trust helps young people to develop key skills, confidence and motivation to move into employment, education or training through programmes that provide practical and financial support.  The Prince’s Trust specifically focuses on 13 to 30 year-olds who are unemployed, struggling at school or at risk of exclusion.

The UK Wheels for Change event was sponsored by law firms Addleshaw Goddard, Browne Jacobson, Clifford Chance, Eversheds, and Shearman & Sterling, and healthcare provider Nuffield Health.

Find out more about Wheels for ChangeFind out more about Wheels for Change