Saint-Gobain has raised over £100,000 for charity partners Macmillan Cancer Support and the Irish Cancer Society in a 425-mile bike ride from London to Blois, France.

The four-day cycle took place between 10 and 13 July, seeing 130 workers from Saint-Gobain join forces to raise money for its ‘Together’ charity partners, as well as to celebrate the company’s 350th anniversary.

The team passed through a number of historical sites including Biggin Hill, a town that took on its name because of nearby Biggin Hill Aerodrome’s role in Second World War operations; Otford, famous for the Battle of Otford in 776 AD; and Amiens, a city fought over in both the First and Second World War.

Riders crossed the finish line in Blois, the home of Saint-Gobain’s archives that document the beginning of the company’s 350-year history. The bike ride was just one of the ways Saint-Gobain is celebrating its history this year.

The ‘Together’ charity programme was launched in 2002, raising a total of £2.6 million to date. It was established to bring employees, customers and suppliers together for good causes; previous partners include Barnardo’s, Help the Hospices and the British Heart Foundation.

Peter Hindle MBE, senior vice president, sustainable habitat, general delegate, of Saint-Gobain UK, Ireland & South Africa, said: “Following the success of last year’s cost-to-coast cycling challenge, Saint-Gobain employees came together once more to raise funds for our ‘Together’ charity partners, as well as celebrating the company’s 350th anniversary this year.

“Our Together partnership, which has been running since 2002, acts as a great catalyst to bring our 17,000 employees from across all our 34 UK businesses together with our suppliers and customers to support a good cause. This sort of combined action, working across our businesses, means we can make a huge impact not only in raising important funds for charity, but in enabling our colleagues to build new, lasting relationships, across such a diverse organisation as Saint-Gobain. It’s a great achievement for everyone involved.”

Leyla Onal, partnership manager at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “Congratulations, Saint-Gobain! A huge thank you to each and every member of the Saint-Gobain team that took part in this fantastic cycle challenge to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support and The Irish Cancer Society. The money will provide much needed support to those affected be cancer, making sure that no one faces cancer alone.”