On Saturday 28 May, the bicycle event to raise money for Project 125 took place and our Mike Richardson and Matthew Ranger were there at the very beginning of the event, ready to go as early as 6.00 am!

The first group, set to run the whole 125 miles, started at 6.00 am (below a picture before the start!) and the first to pass the finish line arrived around 3.30 pm.
Other groups started at 10.00 am and 12 am to run half the distance or less.

The wind was strong and unfortunately blowing in the wrong direction and only 8 brave cyclists rode the whole 125 miles… we’re proud to say both Mike and Matthew were among them! 

The event was a success and raised about £2000 on that day. The way is still long though and the goal ambitious: raise £125,000 for the youth group LIFE to build a dormitory for Zambian teenage girls to be safe and finish their school education.

If you want to know more about the project and to participate, without using your bicycle, go to http://www.justgiving.com/project125 and donate!

Maximizer Software sponsored Brian Seymour in the 2011 Virgin London Marathon as he aimed to raise money for the Army Benevolent Fund.

On 17th April 2011, under some magnificent weather, Brian completed the 2011 Virgin London Marathon in 4 hours and 3 minutes. "It was certainly a hard marathon to complete" says Brian. "You put yourself through some intense training leading up to the marathon in cooler conditions and to then come and compete in temperatures we have seen today makes it ten times harder. I'm very proud to have completed this marathon to raise a significant sum for the Army Benevolent Fund so they can continue providing for our soldiers and their families."

The ABF offer lifetime support to soldiers and their families, whether they are serving or retired. The scope of their work is huge. Half of the money raised is given direct to individuals to help in areas such as debt relief, mobility assistance, education bursaries, carehome fees and respite breaks. The other half is given as grants to other charities. Brian comments "The ABF is a great charity and supports families who have lost loved ones in every respect, be it financial, medical or technical help they require. I'm proud to be able to compete in a nationally recognised event for such a cause."

Brian has already raised over £1200 through his justgiving account and other sponsorship avenues. If you would like to sponsor Brian and donate to the ABF, please visit his Just giving page: http://www.justgiving.com/Brian-Seymou r .

Maximizer are proud to announce that we are a member of Kidsafe Supporters Club for Berkshire, helping keep local children safe and sound.

Kidsafe provide safety posters, leaflets and games to primary schools across the country to ensure kids remain safe. Their unique approach helps get the message across to children in a fun but informative way, including activities that cover topics such as:

• Stranger Danger
• Vandalism and Crime prevention
• Racism and bullying
• Drugs
• Road Safety
• Green Cross Code.

Would you like to help local children in your area Play Safe and Stay Safe? You can become a member of Kidsafe too by visiting www.kids-safe.net

For the second year running, Maximizer will be sponsoring Team 74 in the Macmillan 4x4 UK Challenge Event, which will be held during the first week of March 2011, running over a period of four days.  The event is organised by a group of 4x4 enthusiasts who decided they wanted to help victims of cancer and their families by raising money for Macmillan Cancer support through a sponsored event. It aims to test navigational, orienteering and observation skills, with on and off road sections - depending on conditions, and endurance by day and night; and is intended to be a testing long weekend of fun covering between 400 and 1000 miles with various "tests" en route.  

Macmillan Cancer Support is a UK charity that works to improve the lives of people affected by cancer. As treatments improve, more and more people are living with cancer in their daily lives. Macmillan provides practical, medical and financial support for patients and their families. Nick Helm and Simon Carter make up Team 74 for 2011:  “Macmillan Cancer Support provide such a vital service to cancer patients and their families all over the UK,” says Nick, “It’s a cause that is very close to my heart and I’m proud to be able to raise money for such an important charity.”

So far £1350 has been raised, but if you would also like to support Nick and Simon, please visit their Just giving website: www.justgiving.com/Mac4x4-Team74 . Visit www.mac4x4.co.uk  for further details about the event.

 

This year Maximizer Software's Managing Director Mike Richardson and Head of Sales UK Matthew Ranger got on their bikes to raise money for the British Heart Foundation. Over three days, the pair along with friend Dai Roberts covered 280 miles (450km) as they cycled from London, UK to Paris, France.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is a UK charity that pioneers research into the causes of and treatments for heart disease, as well as supporting patients and raising awareness about lifestyles changes that promote a healthy heart. “We’re raising money for BHF because it’s a cause that is close to all of us,” explains Matthew, “The money we raise makes a real difference to the charity and the important work that they do.”

The BHF London to Paris Cycle ride is now in its 8th year, and it certainly doesn't get any easier over time! The first day took the group from Chartwell down to Folkestone on the English coast where they crossed the Channel by Eurotunnel. On the second day, after a decent meal and a pint the night before, it was back to cycling as they travelled from Marquise to Amien (approx 90miles/145km). The third day was meant to be a simple home straight finish to the historic Palace of Versaille, built by Louis XIV in 1682. However, our boys saw this as too easy a challenge, and decided to take a wrong turn, ending up on a French motorway and adding on an extra 30 miles to their journey in a very strong head wind. They finally ended up in Versaille 15 minutes before the end. “It was a gruelling three days” says Mike, “But the satisfaction of finishing it and raising money for BHF was worth the time and the training we had put into it."

The group set the bar high and were aiming to raise £1000 (approx 1200 euros) for the BHF. However this target was smashed within the first couple of weeks of raising money, so they revised their target to £2000. At the time of finishing the race they had received donations and pledges that totalled nearly £3000.

If you would like to donate money in recognition of completing the London to Paris bike ride, you can visit their Justgiving donations page at http://original.justgiving.com/maximizercrm . Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way as the money gets paid directly to the charity.If you are a UK taxpayer then the charity can also claim Gift Aid making your donation go even further.

See the local press clippings surrounding this London to Paris bike ride here !

         

Maximizer was proud to support Ronnie Fleming, owner of long term Maximizer business partner in Ireland - Software Support, in his climb of Mount Kilimanjaro.  Ronnie has raised over € 7,500 (£6407.49) for Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin.  Ronnie's monumental feat was in support of his nephew's son, who was diagnosed with Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukaemia, (JMML), when he was only a year old.

In December 2010 Maximizer Software supported the Bracknell FoodBank by collecting food and festive items.  The Bracknell FoodBank is run by the Kerith Centre Community Church and is part of a national network of FoodBank’s, giving out nutritionally balanced emergency food to people in crisis who have nowhere else to turn. They also offer additional support to help break the cycle of poverty, putting people in touch with relevant agencies who can offer further support.

If you would like to find out more about the Bracknell FoodBank and to see an extensive list of the foods that they always need you can visit the Kerith Centre website .