Starting on 25th April, David Miller, Vice President at Barclays Wealth Management, and 29 of his colleagues originally planned to cycle 2175 miles – the same distance as the Tour de France – within their daily exercise allowance. Instead over the course of two weeks following lockdown guidelines, they cycled a staggering total of 3,466 miles which is over the equivalent distance from London to New York.In total they have raised £7,371, including Gift Aid and Barclays’ matching donation through their 100×100 UK COVID-19 Community Relief Programme.

David has been a keen supporter of Havens Hospices over the years and uses his corporate position to support the charity. He organises volunteer days for himself and his colleagues to work in the gardens at Little Havens in Thundersley – something which they will miss this year.

Additionally, for the last two years he has organised Corporate Golf Days, inviting clients to Stockbrook Manor to raise money for the charity which have raised over £10,000 on the day.

David says, “I have always been a keen supporter of this local charity as the work they do makes my head spin every time I think about it. About 10 years ago, I was invited to have a tour of Little Havens and sadly it was on a Monday following a death – I expected tears, desperation and sadness to be what I felt, but it was the exact opposite. The happiness, laughter and above all hope and love the hospice showed, was quite overwhelming and makes me emotional still just remembering it now. That is why Little Havens will always be my focus when it comes to fundraising.

He added, “When Barclays confirmed they were launching fund for charities, I was keen Little Havens to be in the mix and that is how the idea for the cycle challenge started. Not only did I want to raise money for a worthy cause but I also wanted to do something that would involve all of my colleagues and bring us together in lockdown – I felt something that we could all get involved with and would be some fun that was needed.”

Tanya King, Philanthropy Manager at Havens Hospices said, “The support David and his colleagues have shown to Little Havens over the years has been nothing short of remarkable – we cannot thank them enough. Over the past couple of months, Havens Hospices’ income has taken a hit due to the cancellation and postponement of all our fundraising events. This donation is especially appreciated so we can continue providing essential hospice care to our patients and families when they need us most.”

Little Havens Hospice, part of Havens Hospices, provides free palliative nursing and supportive care to children living with complex or incurable conditions across Essex. Their care can only continue thanks to donations made by kind supporters.

Visit www.havenshospices.org.uk/donate or the charity’s social media channels @HavensHospices for ideas on how to support the charity.