John Lewis York team pipped by Sheffield in charity bike challenge

Swapping the shop floor for the open road, staff from John Lewis York took on colleagues from the Sheffield store in a charity cycle challenge.

The two teams rode 65 miles to raise money for Barnado’s, John Lewis’s 150th anniversary charity, ahead of the Grand Départ.

Both four-strong teams set off on Sunday, June 22, at 11.30am before meeting for a pit stop approximately halfway at Nostell Priory.

Then the race was on to cycle to their home shop. John Lewis Sheffield beat their York colleagues by an hour.

“Team York had a fantastic day cycling through the beautiful Yorkshire countryside, and whilst we are slightly disappointed we didn’t make it back to our shop first we are really happy to be raising money for Barnado’s,” said Tony Hassall, furnishing and fabrics manager at the Vangarde Shopping Park store.

“They do a lot of work to help the UK’s most vulnerable children, young people and their families, so it’s certainly a worthy cause to support.”

Robert Garnish, branch manager, John Lewis York, said: “We will continue to celebrate ‘le Grand Depart’ with a cycle challenge in the shop on 5th and 6th July.

“A number of partners will be cycling 150 miles on an exercise bike to mark John Lewis’s 150th anniversary and raising more money for Barnado’s.”

John Lewis York is also sponsoring the Song Cycle: vive la vélorution! concert at York Minster on Saturday, June 28.