Littlehampton bankers use pedal power to help trust

They spent the whole day at Barclays Bank, in High Street, taking it in turns to ride a static bike, in a bid to help raise £100,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

The event was part of the company’s wider, Southern Spartan 300, which saw 12 intrepid cyclists from banks across the south of England mounting their saddles in an effort to ride 300 miles in just five days.

And on Thursday afternoon, this group – which set off last Monday (June 18) – made a pit-stop at the bank, to support their Littlehampton colleagues.

Tanya Gibbins, who helped to organise the branch’s fund-raising activities, said: “The day has been brilliant and we’ve had a really generous response from all our customers. We’ve all been taking it in turns to ride the bike since we opened, at 9.30am. Some of us cycled for about half-an-hour while others aimed to complete an hour.

“It was certainly tough going, some of us were cycling like mad men!”

Staff at Barclays held a raffle, with prizes donated from local businesses, raising £546.38 in a single day. Fitness experts from Virgin Active, in Angmering, also provided goody bags for many of the customers and fund-raisers.

Even the bank’s West Sussex area director, Peter O’Shey got involved with the action – albeit in a more hair-raising manner – when he had his leg waxed by Littlehampton beautician, Chelsey Finch.

All the money raised will go towards the construction of a new Teenage Cancer Trust 10-bed unit at Southampton General Hospital, which will support young cancer patients.

Money will also go to back and maintain the newly opened unit at The Royal Marsden Hospital in Surrey, which helps young cancer patients aged 16-24.