Accordance will join charity Starr Trust on a sponsored bike ride from Brighton to Amsterdam, to raise money for young people while celebrating the ongoing relationship between the UK and EU
Brighton and Amsterdam based international VAT compliance and consultancy practice Accordance VAT has announced that it will be joining Starr Trust, a family-run charity which supports young people to fulfil their potential through arts, sports and education, on a sponsored cycle ride from Brighton to Amsterdam later this year.
Currently, 12 members of the Accordance team are signed up to bring pedal power to the service of Brighton’s young people and in celebration of the links between the UK and the EU. Each participant is aiming to raise £1000, and Accordance has already made a £5000 donation to the charity to support the costs of the trip.
The company opened its second office in Amsterdam in October 2018. As an organisation whose purpose is to make businesses feel at home in Europe, the trip in support of Starr Trust is also an opportunity to celebrate the ongoing close working relationship between the UK and the continent. Despite the political uncertainty, Accordance are hugely proud of its diverse workforce and through their clients, colleagues, offices, and partners will be forever tied with the EU.
The 500-kilometre trek will be undertaken in just four days, commencing on June 26th, 2019. The first leg of the journey will take the team from Brighton to Folkestone, where the Eurostar will provide brief respite for aching legs. The second day of the bike ride will intensify efforts, as the team travel from Calais to Ghent-Tilberg in Belgium. The third day will see the team arrive in Holland, with an overnight pit stop in North Brabant after which the final leg of the journey to Amsterdam will commence. The Accordance team will then have the opportunity to visit the new Amsterdam office – although they will not be expected to work after their marathon efforts.
MD Lucy Franklin says: “Starr Trust is a wonderful charity and one that Accordance was keen to sponsor - I have always admired the vital role they play helping young people to reach their full potential. I am also so proud of how willing and positive the Accordance team have been in supporting and participating in this bike ride. Not only do we get to support a fantastic charity, celebrate Accordance’s new links with our ‘second city’ Amsterdam, but we also fulfil our commitment to ensure that people really are at the ‘heart of this business’ by offering them a way to strike a healthy balance between work and leisure.”
Starr Trust believes in a world in which young people are enabled to fulfil their greatest potential. They are fully funded by sponsors, which means all the money they raise goes directly to support the young people aged 10-18 they work with. Accordance VAT’s in-house Charity Committee chose this project because the objectives of Starr Trust are in line with the interests and passions of the Accordance workforce, and it’s a cause the team believes in.
Rosie Molloy, Fundraising Manager at Starr Trust says: “The Starr Trust is thrilled to be working alongside Accordance VAT this year on our bike ride to Amsterdam. It has been a pleasure getting to know the team who will be riding from Brighton to their new office in the centre of Amsterdam. We look forward to a long friendship with Accordance VAT. “
Accordance VAT is supporting staff to prepare for the bike ride via a training scheme sponsored by David Lloyd and Virgin Active. Group rides, spinning classes and personal training sessions are all on offer to ensure that all members of staff who want to take part on the cycle ride are able to, regardless of their current level of fitness.
Donations can be made to Accordance’s fundraising efforts via the Virgin Money Giving Fundraising page