“As a charity, we rely on the generosity of the public to fund our care"

Workers at a Pocklington-based company are competing in a “Race for a Reason” charity event.

Phoenix Software employees are taking part in a three-day charity race across Benelux this summer in support of St Leonard’s Hospice in York.

Clare Metcalfe, managing director, and Rachel Pickering, operations co-ordinator at Phoenix.

placeholder image — Clare Metcalfe, managing director, and Rachel Pickering, operations co-ordinator at Phoenix.

Inspired by the hit BBC TV show, Race Across the World, the event will see 30 Phoenix employees (split into 10 teams of three), race across the Benelux region.

The teams will compete to reach as many of the 16 checkpoints as possible scattered across Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

The event was created to accrue £5,000 for the hospice via a JustGiving page.

However, the total has soared past the initial target with £6,482 raised – thanks to the backing of 389 supporters.

Each team will need to strategise to earn points based on the difficulty of each location – with points been converted into a time advantage at the finish line.

The event spans three days, starting on Sunday, July 6 and ending on Wednesday, July 9, with three winning spots up for grabs:

•Team to finish fastest (after time deductions based on points gathered across checkpoints)

•Team to raise the most funds for St Leonard’s Hospice

•Team with the highest social engagements (posts, likes, shares, comments, and retweets across LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and Instagram)

Go to www.justgiving.com/team/raceforareason to support the fundraising efforts.

St Leonard’s Hospice provides care and support for terminally ill people, and people with life limiting illnesses.

Annie Keogh, corporate partnerships development fundraiser at St Leonard’s Hospice, said: “As a charity, we rely on the generosity of the public to fund our care, whether that’s in the hospice, out in the community, or in patients’ own homes. We simply couldn’t do what we do without the incredible support of businesses like Phoenix Software.

"Their Race for a Reason challenge is a fantastic example of how companies can make a real difference, and the funds they’ve raised over the years have had a direct impact on the care we provide. We can’t wait to follow their journey in July!”

Clare Metcalfe, managing director at Phoenix, said: “Teams have already started fundraising passionately and getting ready for the mission in July. We are looking forward to seeing who wins and how much money we raise for St Leonard’s Hospice and the vital work they do.”