Staff to cover distance between Derbyshire and Ohio in ambitious charity challenge

Staff at a Derbyshire firm have joined forces with their American colleagues in an attempt to raise £1,000 by covering the equivalent of the distance across the sea between their two offices.
By Lucy Roberts
Published 29th Oct 2020, 10:01 BST
From left: Jennifer McNaughton, Martin Freeman, Meredith Bruder and Jack Bowers do their bit to help Lubrizol’s team hit a combined 3,646 miles as part of a challenge launched in aid of the British Heart Foundation and American Heart Foundation.From left: Jennifer McNaughton, Martin Freeman, Meredith Bruder and Jack Bowers do their bit to help Lubrizol’s team hit a combined 3,646 miles as part of a challenge launched in aid of the British Heart Foundation and American Heart Foundation.
From left: Jennifer McNaughton, Martin Freeman, Meredith Bruder and Jack Bowers do their bit to help Lubrizol’s team hit a combined 3,646 miles as part of a challenge launched in aid of the British Heart Foundation and American Heart Foundation.

Ten staff working at the Lubrizol headquarters in Hazelwood near Belper have taken on the task of completing at least 17 miles a week between now and mid-December via whatever means possible after the company launched the ‘Atlantic Challenge’ earlier this month.

The aim of the challenge, which will raise money for the British Heart Foundation and the American Heart Foundation, is for everyone to work together to achieve a combined total of 3,646 miles, representing the distance between Hazelwood and Lubrizol’s offices in Cleveland, Ohio.

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There are 18 people taking part in total and they have all been given free rein as to how they want to complete their miles whether by covering the actual distance or by converting the time spent doing another activity, such as playing football or gardening, into the equivalent miles.

However, they are also being encouraged to fulfil their quota by doing exercise during their lunch time or work break in order that they can maintain a healthy life/work balance during the Covid-19 lockdown, when the majority of them are home working, and make getting active a part of their routine.

It is the first time that Lubrizol has held a joint transatlantic fundraising event of this kind and Jack Bowers, a placement student in the firm’s global communications department, who has organised the event, said it will help to bring colleagues closer together.

He said: “The distance is the equivalent of 140 marathons, which means that each of us will have to complete the equivalent of seven marathons in ten weeks in order to hit our target.

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“That’s a lot of miles, and so it takes a lot of commitment as well as creative thinking on how to complete the distance, while doing everyday things like walking a dog takes on a whole new meaning.

“I’ve gone for a combination of activities, which includes rugby training and going to the gym, which I am determined to keep up between now and December.”

Lubrizol UK has raised funds for the BHF over the last two years, as well as taking part in a series of events designed to promote exercising regularly in order to enjoy the benefits of having a healthy heart.

To donate to Lubrizol’s Atlantic Challenge visit http://bit.ly/LBZAtlantic

Related topics:DerbyshireAmericanOhioBelperBritish Heart Foundation