A CHALLENGE to raise awareness and funds for a road safety charity is being taken up by police, firefighters and road safety professionals in Warwickshire.
Members of the Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership are asking residents to support them as they run or cycle a set distance of 10 or 20 miles on May 18 as part of the Andy Cox Challenge.
Last year, Det Ch Supt Andy Cox of Lincolnshire Police raised over £50,000 for RoadPeace – a charity for UK road crash victims – by running 125 miles from the site of the first ever road death in London to the RoadPeace Wood at the National Memorial Arboretum during Global Road Safety Week.
This year, members of Warwickshire Police, Warwickshire County Council Road Safety Education Team, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Warwickshire, and Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service aim to raise £5,000 towards this year’s national target of £500,000.
The high-profile event will see police officers and staff from across the UK join forces to run, cycle, walk or travel by any other means across their force area between May 16-22 – while Det Ch Supt Cox covers 30 miles a day for seven days on foot or by bicycle.
Philip Seccombe, the Chair of Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership and the county’s Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “I’m proud of all the participants who are stepping up to support the inspirational Andy Cox in this challenge. As well as raising much needed funds for RoadPeace, the challenge draws attention to the number of people who needlessly die on our roads every year.
“This is something Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership is working hard to change because we believe by looking at and improving all aspects of road safety including road and vehicle design, speed, post collision care and road user behaviour we can help reduce death and serious injury on our roads and create a safer road environment that will encourage people into active and sustainable travel.”
Last year Kate Castle, Fay Wileman, Helen Bancroft-Kent, and Chris Lewis represented Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership in the first Andy Cox Challenge.
Visit https://tinyurl.com/23mm2vmv for more information on the Andy Cox Challenge.
Visit https://tinyurl.com/33zxna7d to donate to the Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership’s fund-raiser for the challenge.
