Senior leaders from Majestic, the UK’s largest specialist wine retailer, are saddling up to tackle two gruelling cycle routes around the coast of Jersey later this month in aid of charity.
Majestic’s Executive Chairman and CEO John Colley will lead a group of seven colleagues through the cycling challenge on the island, where the wines, beers and spirits retailer opened its first-ever Channel Islands store in April this year. John will be joined by fellow executives Chief Financial Officer Alex Jablonowski, People Director Jacqui Rouse and Store Operations Director Keith Blessley for the epic challenge on Thursday 26th September.
Director of HR – Retail Operations, Hannah Finnikin, Buying Manager, Matt Fowkes, and Retail Operations Manager for London, Jamie Kale, will also take part in the charity bike ride, which has become an annual fundraising tradition for Majestic since the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2021, Majestic’s directors rode a combined 680 miles on static bikes in the retailer’s Watford support centre, covering the distance from its southernmost store in England, Majestic Falmouth, to its northernmost store in Inverness, Scotland. The challenge raised more than £17,500 for The Brain Tumour Charity. The following year, the group collected almost £9,000 for Alzheimer’s Society after taking on the 55-mile London to Brighton Cycle, and a similar total was raised in September 2023 after John, Alex and Keith completed a gruelling 100km route around the coast of the Isle of Wight.
The 2024 challenge will see the cyclists take on two separate routes between them, both of which will start and finish at Majestic’s store at The Powerhouse in St Helier. Five cyclists will tackle an ‘expert’ course of almost 70km, with an overall climb of more than 2,400ft, while two members of the intrepid team will pedal a 45km route.
Their efforts will raise funds for the newly formed Majestic Charitable Foundation, which is initially supporting The Brain Tumour Charity, Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) and Child Bereavement UK – charities that were selected by Majestic’s colleagues. Money donated from the cycling challenge will also be used to help charitable causes in Jersey, which will be selected with the help of Majestic’s store colleagues on the island.
Majestic CEO John Colley said: “We can’t wait to get out on our bikes again this year to raise vital funds for the Majestic Charitable Foundation, our three national charity partners and smaller charities operating in Jersey. We know how just much these incredible causes mean to our colleagues – and to many of our customers and suppliers – with so many personal connections to the charities across our business. With the support and donations of our friends, family, colleagues and the general public, we hope to make a real difference to dozens of families in the UK and Jersey.”
Pictured: Left to right – Alex Jablonowski, John Colley and Keith Blessley
