Grosvenor staff ready for charity cycle trip

A group of fifty people will cycle from Grosvenor's London offices to the Liverpool One retail development in two and a half days to raise money for The Liverpool One Foundation.

The bike ride, which is being organised by Chris Taite, who is the fund manager for the Grosvenor Liverpool Fund, will coincide with second anniversary since the first phase of the 42-acre scheme opened on 29 May 2008.

Grosvenor and its investment partners created The Liverpool One Foundation two years ago to demonstrate a commitment to supporting local initiatives, organisations and charities working at a grass roots level in the community. Administered by the Community Foundation for Merseyside, it has awarded grants of over £300,000 to date, to well in excess of 50 local causes.

The two-day event will unfold as follows:

• Day one – Participants will cycle to Banbury, a distance of 85 miles from Grosvenor's offices in Mayfair
• Day two – A journey consisting of 111 miles through the heart of England, arriving in Whitchurch for an overnight stop
• Day three – A 45-mile sprint to Liverpool One, with a brief stop at the Chester Grosvenor, and a police escort through the Mersey Tunnel

There are eight members of staff cycling on behalf of Liverpool One including estate director Chris Bliss, IT services manager Simon Kilshaw, retail delivery and project manager Catherine Pankhurst and cleansing and waste manager Paul Brady.

Pankhurst said: "I've never done anything like this before but wanted to do something outside of my comfort zone. I have been training hard both on the road and in the gym and have set a personal goal of raising £1,000, which I'm well on my way to reaching."

Bliss added: "We've been training as a group, going out about three times a week covering 20 to 30 miles each time. It's actually been rather enjoyable – although one ride we managed to get four punctures between six of us! However, our team spirit throughout has been immense.

"We're all really keen to get started and timing our arrival in Liverpool to celebrate the second anniversary of the opening of Liverpool One is just perfect. We are all looking forward to marking the occasion in style."

Taite concluded: "We are hoping to raise a minimum of £15,000 for the Liverpool One Foundation through the ride. More than that, however, we want to raise awareness of the ongoing need for such funds within Liverpool, so that more people and organisations contribute on an ongoing basis."

• To find out more about the Liverpool One Foundation or to make a donation, visit http://www.justgiving.com/Liverpool-ONE-Foundation