Vistry Thames Valley completes its part of charity voyage

Published by

Sam Pither

Staff working in the Thames Valley region for housebuilder Vistry Group have completed their section of the group’s ongoing charity voyage.

The ‘Vistry Voyage’ initiative sees staff joining forces to transport a commemorative book 1,163 miles, from the north-east of England to Cornwall, to support Papyrus, a charity dedicated to the prevention of suicide, providing confidential support and advice to young people dealing with suicidal ideation and those concerned about them.

The only stipulation is that the book must be moved through human-powered transport. In the Thames Valley, the challenge saw participants on foot or cycling completing five sections, taking the book from Marlborough in Wiltshire to Windsor in Berkshire.

The first section, from Marlborough to Kintbury, was completed on a bike by Trevor Wicks, Vistry Thames Valley’s managing director. Lance Else, operations director, took over from there, taking it on to Aldermaston.

It then fell to land manager James Davies to continue the book’s progress, cycling to the firm’s regional head office in Reading. From here, a group of employees walked it on to Sonning Golf Club, where senior land manager Fiona Harrison took over for final, and longest, section of the trip, taking it to Windsor Castle where the London team took over.

Mr Wicks, said: “I’m immensely proud of my team for tackling this leg of the Vistry Voyage and for carrying the commemorative book on its journey across our region. I was especially pleased that we managed to complete the challenge ahead of schedule, with some excellent times posted by our cyclists.

“It was extremely heart-warming to see so many of our people keen to support the event. I’d like to thank everyone who took part, as well as those who volunteered to pick up and collect the cyclists.

“A special mention must also go to our design and planning manager Caroline Belmont who joined the walk despite being eight months pregnant.

“We’ve been supporting Papyrus in a number of ways this year, but this is the biggest event Vistry has organised in aid of the charity.”

“The housebuilding industry has one of the highest suicide rates of all the professions, so this is a cause that is extremely close to our hearts.”

According to figures from the Office for National Statistics, more than 1,400 construction workers took their own lives between 2011 and 2015, a rate of suicide estimated to be three times the national average for men.

Featured image: James Davies (R) passes the book on to colleagues at Vistry Thames Valley's Reading office. Credit: Vistry Group/RDG.Today

Sam Pither

Sam is the Regional Editor of Biz News, responsible for both Hampshire and Dorset. A new recruit to journalism, Sam started writing for the Business Magazine as a freelancer in May of 2022 after completing his degree in English at University College London. His passion for local businesses and ability to tell a story soon caught the attention of the publication’s management team and have led to his meteoric rise. Sam, who lives in central Reading, takes a particular interest in technology, gaming and food and drink, having been a chef before starting his degree.