Six staff from Barnfield Construction, team name the Barnfield Bandits, are delighted with their effort after winning the 2019 Coniston Challenge.
This is the second year running a team from Barnfield have won the Coniston Challenge achieving the fastest time overall (3 hours 46 minutes) in the gruelling triathlon.
To add to the celebrations the 4 teams competing have now tipped £42,000 in donations!
The Coniston Challenge is expertly organised by Alder Hey Children’s Charity and last year the two teams raised £8,000, including a donation of £3,000 from Barnfield Construction.
After the 12 staff from Barnfield had such a great time competing in the challenge last year, they decided to rally the troops and entered 4 teams of six this year.
The triathlon with a twist comprised;
- A 10 km trek up the Old Man of Coniston
- 17 km mountain bike ride through the Grizedale Forest
- 3 km Kayak across Coniston water
In addition to the Barnfield winning team achieving 1st place out of the 31 teams that took part, the Bandits also won fastest time in the mountain bike challenge (58 minutes).
This year the 4 teams of 6 have raised £11,000 from friends, family, colleagues, clients and sub-contractors. To show support to their staff for all their hard-work raising the funds, Barnfield bosses have decided to match the total raised taking the total to £22,000!
Tim Webber, Managing Director and Chairman of Barnfield Construction said “Another fantastic effort by all the team. It’s been a great team building event and I’m so pleased we’ve managed to raise this phenomenal amount for such a worthy charity.
I’m sure knowing the colleagues involved we will smash the challenge next year too – we’re getting very hard to beat!”
Just when the total raised hadn’t been catapulted enough, long term friend and partner of Barnfield Construction, Ramesh Dewan, heard about the challenge being completed and offered to double the whole amount again taking the total donation to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital to an amazing £42,000!
Ramesh Dewan commented “The Barnfield team have once again excelled themselves beyond belief. The Dewan Foundation is intensely proud to be involved and associated with the Barnfield power of good.
The team have achieved a 500% increase in money raised over last year and I’m convinced, like Tim, that next year they will once again excel expectations.”
Here’s what the winners said post event:
Barnfield Bandits – 1st Place
Tim O’Sullivan – “For the second year the sun shone on righteous teams pushing themselves up hill, round the forest and across the lake raising money for a great cause – a great achievement for all who completed the event – next year? Why not!”
Dave Shaw – “The children of Alder Hey Hospital are again the real winners of this event, a big thank you must go to all the organising team on the fells in the forest and on the lake!
Hats off and well done to all those in Orange who completed the epic day, as the aches and pains of the weekend “finally” subside the contribution made by all our sponsors is nothing short of remarkable!!”
Terry Robbins – “Cracking weekend! Great team building, tough challenge and a special Charity to raise money for. Well done to everyone who competed and Alder Hey for organising such a well-run event, I will definitely take part again next year.”
Steve Gibbons – “The Coniston Challenge…wow. First time on this amazing and fulfilling event, fantastic team efforts for everyone involved. Had a chat with one of the families that had a child on one of the wards and it made it that much more inspirational.💙 PS still can’t swim.”
Also in the winning team were Ryan Belshaw and Paul Hesketh.
Barnfield Barmy Army – 7th Place
Mark Cocker – “Coniston – a difficult but very rewarding weekend!!! A great challenge, fantastic company, big laughs but most of all a fantastic cause!!! I might regret this – but sign me up for next year!!!!”
Dan Benson – “Another belting weekend away in Coniston with some fantastic people, raising money for such a great cause. See you next year Alder Hey!”
Rob Bell – “The Triathlon with a twist, back for second year and loved every minute again. As last year the weather played its part and made it a thoroughly enjoyable weekend and judging by how my body feels today it must have been tougher than last year. Simply a great event for a fantastic cause and an amazing team where do I sign for next year…????”
John Parkinson – “A Fantastic weekend, well organised and well run by Alder Hey. It’s been a privilege to be part of such a tough but rewarding event. Well done to all concerned.”
Also in the team was Sam Hesketh
Barnfield Elite – 12th Place
Jonathan Nixon – “It was tougher than I was expecting and as a result I was woefully ill-prepared. I went 3km down-hill in the wrong direction on the bike, struggled getting up the Old Man of Coniston, got a bad blister on my back from the kayak life jacket and managed to pick up the nickname of ‘Councillor Whinge’ from the Alder Hey staff. All in all it was a bit of a disaster but it was fully enjoyable and I’ll be back next year.”
Michael Stobbs – “I smashed it last year. This year it smashed me. Next year, best out of three!”
Andrew Brown – “A fantastic weekend, great fund raising event and team building exercise. Extremely memorable.”
Also in the team was Andrew Couper, Natalie Grime and Jimmy Dent
Barnfield Bikes – Who took the tracker home?!
Natalie Bond – I LOVED IT!!! Can’t wait to do it again next year all in aid of a great charity.
David Shaw – “It was an unexpected pleasure… a great event with lovely people for a fantastic cause! Definitely coming again next year.”
Also in the team were Tony Quinn, John Wilcock, Annabel Lewis and Joe Webber
