On your bikes says Miller Homes

Intrepid Miller Homes staff are set to embark on a 750 mile journey across the UK on bicycles all in the name of charity. Craig Ferrans, divisional design manager and Simon Hatch, senior divisional architectural technologist are planning the charity fundraising tour of the nine regional offices of the UK’s largest privately owned housebuilder, Miller Homes.

The journey, which has been dubbed “le Tour de Miller”, kicks off in Glasgow on Good Friday (6 April), where the men will be sent on their way by Olympic gold medal winning cyclist, Chris Hoy, who is sponsored by Miller Homes. They will then be taking one of several pit stops at the Yorkshire regional office in Wakefield on 12 April, before completing the tour in Basingstoke on 19 April.

The idea was thought up during a divisional conference last year. Craig Ferrans said: “Because we’re in regular contact with the other Miller Homes’ regions, it was suggested it would be good to meet with other employees from around the country face to face. A managing director said we should get on our bikes, so we took the comment literally and thought that we could raise some money for charity along the way.”

The two cyclists have been in training since November and are confident they will be able to stick to the demanding schedule. Along the way they will be able to rest and sleep in a specially donated Winnebago!

During their adventure, the men will be joined along the way by some of the other Miller Homes’ staff who will support them for one leg of the tour each, helping to raise money along the way. Miller Homes Yorkshire has already pledged over £2,095!

The money is being raised for Habitat for Humanity, which is an international charity. Their vision is to eliminate sub-standard housing and homelessness. The charity campaigns tirelessly to increase access for all people to affordable shelter by helping people in need to build or renovate a home.

Habitat for Humanity’s new campaign challenges people to sign up and become a HopeBuilder and donate or raise £1,235 to build a home for a family currently living in poverty. This money will pay for all materials and labour (most of which is done voluntarily by the new homepartner family and others) needed to build a typical habitat house in the developing world. Craig and Simon are hoping to raise enough cash to build nine homes – one for each Miller region.

Simon Hatch said: “A couple of years ago Miller had a big charity event with the NHBC and raised around £18,000 and we would love to emulate that figure. If we could break it that would be a fantastic achievement and would mean we can provide Habitat for Humanity with the funds to build nine new homes and also provide a good donation for our other chosen charities, The Prince’s Trust and Sustrans who are also helping us with the tour.”

Miller Homes Yorkshire has 21 exclusive developments throughout the Yorkshire region which include properties ranging from one bedroom apartments to five bedroom detached houses.

If you want to find out more about these developments visit Millerhomes.co.uk.