A team from Criterion continued their fundraising efforts for Edinburgh-based charity Waverley Care, by completing a 176 mile bike ride. The team raised an incredible, £3,240 through sponsorship and Criterion will be matching this – taking the new total to £6,480.
The cycle ride started in Tynemouth on Monday 26 September and the team weaved their way up the coastline, finishing at the Criterion offices at Lochside, View, South Gyle, Edinburgh after four days.
Three Criterion staff - Billy Burnside - MD, Lisa Lamont – Marketing Manager, and Matthew Dransfield – Commercial and Marketing Director, completed the challenge. The team was supported throughout the challenge by their colleagues.
Criterion is a not-for-profit body, delivering professional Standards and Governance services that help the UK’s financial services industry work together for its customers. Criterion Standards are used by leading providers, platforms, advisers, promoting efficiency throughout the industry. They provide the backbone for the exchange and movement of data for many processes, helping organisations significantly cut the costs of linking between systems.
Waverley Care is a charity that supports those affected by, and living with, HIV. It has been instrumental in helping to challenge HIV stigma and myths by raising awareness of the actual realities of HIV. Waverley Care also focuses on:-
- educating local communities on HIV;
- encouraging people to get tested to reduce new infections;
- promoting good sexual health; and,
- tackling health inequalities.
It is 40 years since Terrence Higgins became the UK’s first named person to die of an AIDS-related illness. Although there have been significant treatment advancements for HIV over the years and evidence that attitudes have evolved since the 1980s, stigma, health inequalities, and discrimination are still prevalent in modern society.
In 2020, the Scottish Government announced that Scotland is taking steps to become one of the first countries to eliminate HIV transmissions by 2030. However, the most significant barrier to achieving this in Scotland is the stigma surrounding HIV.
Commenting, Grant Sugden, Waverley Care Chief Executive:
We are so incredibly appreciative and inspired that Team Criterion took on this fantastic challenge in aid of Waverley Care! It comes as no surprise to us that the team wouldn’t take the easy route to raise funds for us – when it comes to their support for the work we do, they are all in, and it is that determination to make a difference to the lives of people affected by HIV in Scotland that was able to see them through this challenge!
Billy Burnside, Criterion MD commenting:
We have supported Waverley Care who are our charity partner for a number of years, and especially through the pandemic when fund raising for all charities was a real problem. This year we wanted to try something different and involve as many of our people as we could, not just those doing the cycling. I love a challenge, so cycling that distance was certainly that – however, it was for a fantastic cause and a great opportunity for us all at Criterion to come together to support each other to complete the ride. We were able to raise valuable funds for Waverley Care, they do a fantastic and worthwhile job of supporting people affected by or living with HIV.
To learn more about Waverley Care and its fantastic work, please visit its website: www.waverleycare.org.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
For further information please contact:
Matthew Dransfield
Commercial and Marketing Director
Criterion
0773 765 0010
[email protected]
