David Szymanski looking to cycle from Lands’ End to John O’Groats in nine days.
National Buying Group Chairman David Szymanski has taken ‘going the extra mile’ to heart as he looks to cycle from Lands’ End to John O’Groats to support disadvantaged students.
Szymanski, previously Managing Director of Hanson Building Products and is former Non-Executive Director of the Building Research Establishment, is undertaking the journey as part of the Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers Charitable Trust’s charity appeal.
The ride, which began on Sunday 22 May and finishes on Tuesday 31, will see Szymanski stop at locations including Wookey Hole in Somerset, Ludlow, Wigan, Penrith and Fort Augustus, with the aim of gathering support from National Buying Group’s UK-wide network of Partners along the way.
Szymanski will be contributing to the Charitable Trust’s main charitable focus - sponsoring the education of students from disadvantaged backgrounds at Christ’s Hospital, a leading West Sussex school – and has set up a JustGiving page to support his efforts.
“Though I hadn’t initially planned for this to be a charity ride, I soon realised I could do what I loved while raising money for a cause close to my heart,” said Szymanski. “The journey will undoubtedly be daunting, but I am hoping to be spurred on by plenty of NBG colleagues along the way.”
The Charitable Trust run by the Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers has a strong track record of supporting bright, disadvantaged students through support grants known as ‘Presentees’.
The first of these was used to help a student complete their schooling with excellent results in 2016, before going on to graduate from Kings College, London and set up a successful online tutoring business.
The second Presentee is currently being used to support a student excelling in all subjects, with £36k secured for a third and fundraising currently underway for a fourth Presentee.
