Congratulations to Guild Friend Ian Leach, who together with four colleagues from Alltech UK, completed a 930 mile Land’s End to John O’Groats epic over nine days to promote the benefits of healthy eating – and raise money for several worthy charities.
Stopping at selected Co-op stores en-route to talk to customers about the benefits of a balanced diet, they raised £6,000 for their charities: Help for Heroes, Meningitis UK, RSPCC, Stroke Association and the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.
“We wanted to raise awareness of the benefits of eating a healthy diet to ensure people have enough selenium in their diet”, says Ian, leader of Team Selenium. “It’s easy to stay fit and well if you choose to eat natural fresh products but recent research has shown that Europeans receive 30% less selenium, on average, than the Recommended Daily Allowance. Selenium is a key element in ensuring a healthy immune system.”
Ian Leach (pictured at the centre of the team line-up), Graeme Smith, Chris Anderson, Clive Knox and Paul Ramm all work for the Alltech animal health company, a major supporter of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists. Alltech specialises in maintaining and improving animal health through the provision of natural products.
“Although we specialise in the health and nutrition of animals, our research is opening up huge opportunities to improve the health of you and I,” explains Ian. “We are grateful to the Co-op for agreeing to work with us to raise awareness and show that by eating fresh British produce, such as fruit, vegetables, eggs, meat and dairy products, people can look after their health.”
Each of the cyclists was also motivated by a personal aim: “My collection of £1,988 is going to the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, where my daughter Emily has been treated recently,” explains Ian. Graeme Smith raised £1,752 for Help for Heroes: “We hope these donations will go some way to expressing our admiration and thanks.”
