Fabulous Buckley Boys clean up for Veterans Aid

Three tyres, six inner tubes and a lot of frustration on the last lap to Paris was a record for fundraisers Jack and Tom Buckley who completed their 300 mile sponsored bike-ride tired but triumphant.

Jack, who is Business Development Manager of top UK cleaning company, Citrica, took four days off work to raise money for Veterans Aid.

Accompanied by brother Tom the busy executive swapped his city suit for cycling gear to complete the challenging route, made worse by the onset of kidney problems that took him from the finishing line to hospital!

Now back at work in fighting form he’s dismissive of the additional handicap. “The hardest part was actually towards the end of the first day between Bradbourn Lees and Dover. After nearly 85 miles of cycling we were greeted with yet more undulations and this time steep hills that seemed as though they were never-ending.

“But we cycled well and did not suffer too greatly – a testament to our training regime prior the trip. This included 10k runs and a lot of cycling.”

The pair left on 10 August from Crystal Palace and covered around 100 miles a day, passing through small villages, towns and magnificent countryside. Jack and Tom were among 70 fundraisers who did the ride for a variety of causes.

They said “We did this as a personal challenge, but also to champion VA because we’ve had a good insight into what it does and know it’s a worthy cause. Veterans Aid has been around for almost 80 years and represents everything that a charity should be about, supporting those who need help during times of crises, who are homeless or likely to become homeless. While the name suggests giving immediate help to ex-Servicemen, woman and their families, the ultimate aim is to get people back on track and leading a stable lives. Veterans Aid’s staff really are at the real sharp end of charity work.”

Looking back on the trip Jack said “After three days of cycling and no mechanical problems everything seemed to be going great and we were looking forward to reaching our final destination in the heart of Paris, the Eiffel Tower. However, this mood of optimism soon changed as the heavens opened, washing the slate from the fields, ruining 6 inner tubes and 3 tyres. ’’

But it ended on a high note and both men insist that even knowing the hardships, they would do it again. “The most rewarding part had to be when the group was all in convoy cycling through Paris, and all of a sudden we turned the corner and there it was, the Eiffel Tower! We felt a great sense of achievement and relief; the feeling of completing the ride was brilliant” said Jack.

“We’re absolutely delighted by what they did for us,” said CEO of Veterans Aid Dr Hugh Milroy. “This was real commitment and an amazing gesture for two busy men to make.

It’s wonderful when people donate money, but to give up precious free time and undertake a gruelling physical ordeal is certainly going the extra mile – or 300 in the case of the Buckley brothers!”

Privately owned Citrica is the UK’s Greenest Commercial Cleaning Company, renowned for the comprehensive and professional service it provides to many SME’s and blue chip clients. It is also a staunch supporter of Veterans Aid and has provided help quietly, behind the scenes, in a variety of ways.

Citrica has excellent CSR credentials and has helped many organisations on an ad hoc basis since its foundation, but after discovering Veterans Aid the company, headed up by Tom and Jack’s father Danny Buckley, decided it had found ‘the one’.

Jack said, “I believe that this is a great charity and I know that anything donated will not be spent on expenses or the management’s next pay rise. It will go to the people who need it the most. It will pay for anything from housing, medical help, rehabilitation to a warm meal a bath or some clean, new clothes. We had a target of £7,000 – but the money is still coming in and we don’t know the final amount yet.”

It’s not too late to help. If you’d like to support the Buckley brothers visit their Just Giving sites. Everything raised will go directly to the ex-Servicemen and women seeking help from Veterans Aid.

http://www.justgiving.com/JackDanielBuckley

http://www.justgiving.com/Tom-Buckley