Employees from Insights, a global people development business based in Dundee, took to the saddle at Tour de 4 charity cycling event, raising significant funds for cancer charities that are deeply personal to them.
Motivated by their own experiences with cancer or the impact it has had on friends and family, the Scotland-based Insights team pedalled to support cancer charities such as Maggie’s Centres and Sarcoma UK. Thanks to the backing of the Insights Foundation, their fundraising efforts were doubled, raising over £2,000 in total.
The event last Sunday, founded by Sir Chris Hoy, raised over £2 million and it aims to challenge perceptions of stage 4 cancer, inspire hope, and raise money for UK cancer charities following Sir Chris’s own diagnosis.
Dave Sydenham, Service Manager at Insights, completed the 37-mile blue route, a personal milestone after returning to work in March following a battle with prostate cancer. A year ago, Dave couldn’t even walk across a room, so finishing the ride and raising over £1,300 for Maggie’s Centres was a huge achievement.
“I’m so proud of how far I’ve come,” said Dave, from Kinneff near Inverbervie. “I wasn’t a cyclist before, but this challenge was a way to get my fitness back and support Maggie’s. The fatigue is still tough, but the support from Maggie’s and Prostate Scotland has been incredible. I wouldn’t have made it through without them.
“It was a very emotional day, especially hearing from Chris Hoy and others about the money raised and the awareness being brought to prostate cancer – it was truly inspirational. The camaraderie among the riders was amazing, and the support along the route meant so much. At one point, there was even a donkey cheering us on!”
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David Stephen, Cloud Infrastructure Engineer at Insights, proudly wore the jersey for Sarcoma UK, inspired by the disease’s impact on a close friend and colleague.
“Supporting Sarcoma UK feels personal and important to me, and the Tour de 4 was a great way to raise awareness for this rare form of cancer,” said Dave, who has also participated in long-distance cycling events, including the challenging 1,900km Race Around the Netherlands. “I’m a keen road cyclist, so the event was the easy part, but the fundraising was tough – so I’m grateful for the support of the Insights Foundation.”
Thanks to the Insights Foundation, all funds raised at Tour de 4 were doubled, further strengthening the support for cancer charities and the people they serve. Additionally, the business donated a Cooling Cap machine to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee to help reduce hair loss for patients undergoing chemotherapy.
