Oldham estate agents to run, walk and cycle 180 miles for Macmillan

A team of estate agents from local firm Ryder and Dutton will launch their most ambitious fundraising initiative to date next week, travelling the breadth of Yorkshire to Lancashire on foot or two wheels to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Over 80 staff from Ryder and Dutton and its parent company, Northern Estate Agencies Group, which also owns Manning Stainton and Mortimers, will join together for The Coffee Cup Relay between Monday 25 to Friday, September 29, walking, running and cycling their way between each of the company’s 36 branches to raise thousands for the charity.

The person behind the idea for the relay was sales negotiator, Jacob Onyando.

He said: “My idea was to cycle to every single branch within our network over a day, but then I realised I wasn’t Bradley Wiggins!

“I took the idea to the senior team and we agreed to extend the challenge to a five-day relay during the week of Macmillan Coffee Morning, and make it on foot as well as on wheels.

"It’s been great to get involved with everyone from the company and feel that connection.

"It’s a good way of bringing everyone together.”

The relay begins in Leeds on Monday 25th, and will pass through Oldham on Thursday, September 28, with two team members walking 2.2 miles from the company’s head office in Royton to the Oldham branch.

Two more will then take the baton, walking 2.8 miles from Oldham to the Chadderton branch.

Other staff members will then pedal, walk and run across Lancashire, with 10 staff will taking the baton for the last day, walking from Blackburn to Clitheroe to cross the finishing line.

Northern Estate Agencies Group, which has a 36-branch network across Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Yorkshire, has a long-term partnership with Macmillan, with a commitment to raise over £60,000 for the cancer charity in the next four years.

It has supported Macmillan Cancer Support in West Yorkshire since 2012.

Sarah Whyte, Macmillan’s Relationship Fundraising Co-ordinator, said: “We are in awe of the collective effort from staff across NEAG’s branches for the inaugural Coffee Cup Relay.

"If they manage to raise the £5,000 target this could fund a Macmillan nurse for five weeks.

"The company’s drive to raise funds through various activities over the past decade is incredibly humbling, and all money raised will go such a long way in helping Macmillan do whatever it takes for people living with cancer.”

Mark Manning, Managing Director of NEAG, added: “I’m proud of the whole team for making this mammoth relay happen for a charity that’s so dear to so many of us.

"We’ve been supporting Macmillan for the past 10 years, because we are so grateful for the invaluable clinical and emotional support they offer to people living with cancer.

“I ran the London marathon this year, so I’ll be donning my running shoes once more and running part of the relay with some of my team.

"Please drop into any of our branches this week to have a coffee and cake, and support this worthy cause with a much appreciated donation.”

For further information on Manning Stainton’s fundraising efforts for Macmillan, please click on the JustGiving page here

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