Workers at Booths’ north Lakes supermarkets will be taking part in a cycling challenge next month to raise money for charity.
The Tour O’Booths challenge will see Booths chief operating officer Nigel Murray ride a course, accompanied by staff and suppliers, taking in every Booths supermarket.
They will ride from the Penrith branch to the Keswick branch on May 27, starting at 8.30am.
Nigel is set to do the Tour De France route this summer and is using this challenge as a warm-up.
They are raising cash for Cure Leukaemia.
And one of Nigel’s friends has already raised £15,000 for the cause.
Painter Bob Sutcliffe, who lives outside Kendal, has a range of greetings cards on sale at Booths for charity.
In total, his work has raised £150,000 for local charities and £15,000 for Cure Leukaemia.
Bob said: “I like to joke with Nigel that I have raised £15,000 for the Tour without turning a single pedal!
“I will be joining him on the Tour O’ Booths—and he’ll have a laugh about my electric bike, but thanks to my painting, my fundraising is a lot less gruelling.”
Bob began painting when struggling to recover from a heart attack in 2017, his brother gave him a set of watercolour paints.
He said it changed his life.
Bob was diagnosed with epilepsy at 36, and was able to control his seizures, but the heart attacks brought back another period of illness.
“I was at a pretty low ebb in my life, painting saved me, it occupied my mind and gave me the chance to recover and discover I had a skill.
“My brother gave more than a set of paints that day, he gave me back my life and I’m determined to make a difference with that gift.”
Bob started to paint commissions for friends and had the idea to turn some of these commissions into charity cards.
He said: “The great thing about the cards is I can select some smaller and lesser-known charities to support locally.
“There is a flexibility to fundraising this way that is un-corporate and allows me to make meaningful connections to charities and people I have a genuine connection and affinity with.
“Painting has been a comfort and salvation over lockdown and I’m lucky to have such rich landscapes and subjects on my Lakeland doorstep.
“Painting, doing good with something that does me good is an excellent way to life.”
To donate to the Tour O’Booths challenge, visit https://www.justgiving.com/team/Nigel-Booths-CureLeukaemia
Bob on Painting cards are available to buy from all Booths stores in the North West.
