Leading motorway service area (MSA) operator, Roadchef, has raised an outstanding £3,000,000 for its charity partner Cancer Research UK over the course of the last four years. The milestone comes as the partnership between Roadchef and the charity moves into its fifth year in 2022.
Across Roadchef’s 30 service areas, team members have participated in all sorts of challenges and activities from bake offs, walks and big hikes, to head shaving. Fundraising at sites has also played a big role with Roadchef customers generously contributing to help raise vital funds for Cancer Research UK’s life-saving work. Central to the success of the partnership has been Roadchef employees acting as ‘Charity Champions’, who are tasked with organising and engaging team members across the country in fundraising initiatives. Stand-out challenges over the last four years include the Great North Run, the Thames Valley 50km and 100km walk, the gruelling Jurassic Coast Challenge and plenty of Cancer Research UK Shine Night Walks.
In addition to its team members’ fundraising activities, in 2021 the MSA operator also launched a toy dog called Bertie across its 30 service areas, with 25% of every sale being donated to Cancer Research UK.
The challenges of a global pandemic did not stop the team’s dedication to supporting Cancer Research UK and Roadchef’s Head of Charity, Mike Jackson, led the way during lockdown by taking on a number of individual challenges, such as the 10 Peaks Challenge which covered over 20 miles in the Lake District.
Philanthropy is central to Roadchef’s ethos and they have won several awards for their charitable efforts. Most recently, they won the Outstanding Partnership Award in the Sport, Travel & Leisure category at Third Sector’s Business Charity Awards 2021, while Mike Jackson was also selected as the charity’s ‘Corporate Charity Champion of the Year 2020’, for his inspiring personal fundraising achievements.
Commenting on Roadchef’s charitable efforts, Mike Jackson said: “As we enter the fifth year of our partnership with Cancer Research UK, I’m incredibly proud of the team’s efforts which have enabled Roadchef to raise a staggering £3million.. It’s inspiring to see how empowered and committed the team is to supporting Cancer Research UK we are really proud of the challenges they have taken on. I’m delighted that we finished 2021 on such a high and look forward to seeing what the team is able to achieve in 2022.”
Eve Mitchell, Head of Partnerships at Cancer Research UK added: “Raising £3million is a huge achievement and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone for supporting our partnership. Thanks to the wonderful fundraising efforts of Roadchef’s staff and generosity of its customers, we can continue funding our vital work in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.”