Christopher BarrettA group of event industry professionals will complete a 1,500km cycle tour of England when they arrive in London this weekend for the final leg of the two-week fundraising endeavour.
Dubbed the Survival Tour, participants include Loudsound’s Steve Reynolds and Mike Trasmundi, along with Mark Ward, Harry Ford and Tyler Cole-Homes of Proper Productions.
The eventprofs have been cycling between 80km-135km per days since 3 October, stopping at closed venues along the way to raise awareness of the plight of the shuttered facilities and 600,000-plus out of work event professionals throughout the country.
The tour is raising funds, as part of the #WeMakeEvents campaign, for the Backup charity, which provides help to employees, freelancers and their families suffering in the entertainment sector.
This weekend (17-18 October) will see them stop outside major venues in the capital including O2 Academy Brixton, The O2, Alexandra Palace, Roundhouse, The SSE Arena Wembley, The Tabernacle, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, Eventim Apollo and the Royal Albert Hall.
Said Reynolds, “Our journey has allowed us to travel through more than 100 venues and festival sites in 13 days. With three days still to go, we know that there’s still much to do to get our message out there. We’ve met many people who have consistently told us about the dire straits that they and their colleagues are in.
“Most of our friends and colleagues work in this industry, we know their families and they are suffering. In fact, it’s like a big extended family, and we couldn’t stand by and let it just disappear without trying to help, raise awareness for the plight and fundraise at the same time.”
Donations can be made here.
To join in the final stage of the ride, in London, register here.