On Saturday 24 July, new Firefighter recruits from Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service will cover the circumference of Leicestershire not once, but twice, in a triathlon style event – all whilst raising money for charity.
The event will see teams of four working together over three disciplines –canoeing, cycling and running – to achieve a total distance of 330 miles. Each cohort will leave from different fire stations, and meet in the centre of Leicester.
The recruits hope to raise £5,000 for The Firefighters Charity, who offer specialist lifelong support for members of the UK fire services community.
Callum Faint, Chief Fire and Rescue Officer at Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Each year, I challenge our recruits to create an event which will raise money for charity. It’s also an opportunity to increase public awareness of the fire service, and to help our recruits to bond as a team.
“Canoeing, cycling and running a distance of 330 miles is a huge effort, and will require massive physical and mental determination from our recruits. I’m confident that they will do a fantastic job, and I wish them the best of luck in their challenge.”
The canoeing cohort will start at Loughborough Fire Station (River Soar) and cover 15 miles each.
The cycling cohort will start at Oakham Fire Station and cover 50 miles each.
The running cohort will start at Kibworth Fire Station, each running a half marathon.
The final destination for all cohorts will be The Clock Tower in Leicester, where the remaining recruits will be adding to the total miles on a static bike and rower. The Community Safety team from Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service will also be in attendance with road safety resources, along with fundraising activities. The team will be in the city centre around the clock tower from 10am until 2pm.
Visit the JustGiving page to read more about the fundraiser and donate, by clicking here.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
Interviews can be arranged through prior arrangement with Corporate Communications on the details below.
About the Service
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service provides emergency response, prevention and protection services from 20 stations across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. Its headquarters is based in Birstall, Leicester.
During 2019/20, we attended a total of 8,541 emergency incidents, including 2,079 fires and 748 road traffic collisions. A total of 7,274 Home Safety Checks were completed and we fitted 4,720 smoke alarms. 305 schools were visited as part of the Service’s schools programme, delivering fire and road safety education to 26,218 pupils. Staff organised or took part in 1,218 community safety activities, totalling over 11,000 hours of time engaging with members of the public.
The Service’s prevention, education, enforcement and inspection programmes have resulted in significant reductions in the number of incidents. In the last ten years, fire-related incidents have reduced by over 30 percent.
Contact:
Corporate Communications
Direct: 0116 210 5756
