A Chester finance worker's determination to create a memorable event for her partner's 30th birthday has paid big dividends for a local hospice appeal and a children's charity.

Helen Scott, who works at The Funding Corporation (TFC) on Chester Business Park, knew her partner Matt Rogers was a keen cyclist, as were some of his friends and colleagues.

So a year before his thirtieth, Helen began putting the wheels in motion for a massive 1,800-mile cycle ride from Berlin in Germany back to Chester, via Holland, Belgium and France.

She also helped the six-strong team to find sponsorship from local businesses and individuals to raise funds for Chester's Hospice of the Good Shepherd and the national children's charity Sparks.

During the event, Helen took on the one-woman role of support crew, driving ahead to each evening's destination and setting up camp for the cycling supremos.

After twelve days of punishing peddling, the group - all of whom work in Chester - arrived back to collect a staggering £4,000-plus in sponsorship money for their charities.

"It was a fantastic effort on everyone's part, and they all put in many hours of training in the lead-up to the ride, often sacrificing weekends for eighty-mile practise sessions," said Helen.

"In the end, we actually raised twice what we'd anticipated thanks to the amazing local support which we were given," she added.

Helen, who lives in Chester, works as a customer services adviser at TFC, having joined the company almost ten years ago.

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ACF Car Finance Limited (www.acfcarfinance.co.uk) is Britain's leading supplier of high-quality used cars to people whose credit status might otherwise prevent them from obtaining vehicle finance. ACF Car Finance has earned a strong reputation within the finance and motor industry for its standards of customer care, and the quality of the friendly, professional advice provided by members of its fully-trained team. The company has a Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/ACFCarFinance, and can be followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ACFCarFinance.

For further information, please contact:

Jane Whittle

Marketing Manager

01244 625 683

jane.whittle@thefundingcorporation.com