SCOTTISH Olympic gold medallist and world champion cyclist Sir Chris Hoy has thrown his pedal power behind a fundraising campaign at Glasgow Airport.
The athlete helped give a big boost to British Airways’ Flying Start fundraising initiative on behalf of Comic Relief when he visited the airline’s engineering hangar at the airport on Tuesday afternoon
Sir Chris, who won six Olympic gold medals and 11 world championship medals during a glittering career in cycling, joined colleagues at British Airways’ Maintenance Glasgow (BAMG) as part of the hangar’s Red Nose Day activities to raise funds for charity.
Holly Gray, British Airways’ community investment manager, said: “We’re delighted that Sir Chris took time to join British Airways colleagues at the engineering hangar to help boost funds for our Flying Start charity initiative in support of Comic Relief.
“A number of colleagues at BAMG are keen cyclists and have undertaken cycle rides to raise funds for Flying Start, notably when they took part in the NC 500, cycling 500 miles around the north coast of Scotland in just five days, raising several thousand pounds in the process.”
The next BAMG fundraising effort will take place in September when a team of 20 cyclists will take part in the ‘Big Belter’ cycle ride between Glasgow and Edinburgh.
After his visit to BAMG, where he rode round the hangar on a tandem accompanied by BA colleagues, Sir Chris said: “Flying Start has done a tremendous job, raising more than £20 million for Comic Relief two years ahead of its 2020 deadline.
“I know that many of the staff at BAMG are keen cyclists and have dedicated many hours of their own time to raise money by taking part in a number of long distance cycling events, raising thousands of pounds for Flying Start and Comic Relief in the process.
“It was a pleasure to meet them and to encourage them to go on with their great fundraising efforts for Flying Start, helping Comic Relief continue their fantastic work in improving the lives of underprivileged and deprived children throughout the world and here in the UK.”
BA customers and colleagues have raised over £20m since the Flying Start partnership with Comic Relief began in June 2010.
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