First Wessex staff battle the Hampshire heat to raise more than £1,200 in charity cycle

The company held its fifth annual charity cycle ride last week in aid of Scope and Wessex Cancer Trust.

Setting off from First Wessex’s headquarters in Eastleigh at 6am, employees battled gruelling heat as they cycled an impressive 112 miles between Portsmouth, Aldershot and Eastleigh.

Senior business resource manager Simon Dean organised the event and called it the ‘best ride yet’.

He said: ‘We’ve seen some fantastic efforts from our riders and had lots of great support from our colleagues at our offices and depots to keep us going on the cycle ride and I’ve really enjoyed it.’

Nicknamed the ‘Tour de First Wessex’, more than £10,000 has been raised over the charity bike ride’s five-year existence.

Director of property services and first-time cyclist Mark Batchelor said: ‘It’s been a tough ride, but totally worth it.

‘I am very proud of our First Wessex family.’