Kirby Group Engineering has unveiled details of the Kirby Way Cycle 2022 – a major company event in conjunction with fundraising partners and Warriors for Humanity – to raise money for good causes including Self Help Africa.

The challenge is due to take place in the first weekend of September this year.

Setting off from company headquarters at Raheen Business Park in Limerick on Saturday the second of September, hundreds of cyclists, including many employees, their families, Kirby’s supply chain partners and clients will travel to the company’s office at Ballybane on the outskirts of Galway city. After a well earned rest, the more serious cyclists will then hit the road to Dublin the next day, arriving into the city centre on the evening of Sunday the third of September. The full journey will cover a distance of over 300 kilometres.

As well as raising hundreds of thousands of euro for charity, Kirby’s Group MD Mark Flanagan says the cycle is a brilliant opportunity for his team to get together outside work: “The world of work has changed in the past two years but this will remind us that two things remain the same. Firstly, Kirby’s primary core value is our people. We are looking forward to coming together once again and boosting our team spirit.  Secondly, Kirby’s commitment to helping those in need. The team’s vision for the benefits that this project can have in Ireland and Africa is truly inspiring. I look forward to seeing how our charity partners put the proceeds of the Kirby Way Cycle to good use in their work”.

Operations Director at Kirby, Mikey Ryan has led preparations for the Cycle: “Since we came up with this idea I’ve been amazed at the positivity from my colleagues, the board and our industry contacts and I’m so grateful for everyone’s support. I think the time is right for this kind of company-wide drive to come together again and do something different. The cycle is just a catalyst for building the buzz around something that’s going to be a lot of fun and deliver real benefit to people in need and our planet.”

Self Help Africa will be one of the main beneficiaries of funds raised through the Kirby Way Cycle. It’s planning to direct the donations towards:

• The planting of up to 200,000 trees across 10 countries
• The construction of 50 boreholes in rural villages, providing thousands of people with a safe, clean water supply
• Enabling 30,000 families to grow food across 10 countries
• Installing solar powered kiosks in 50 communities, each of which will power 100 households

Martha Hourican, Director of Business Development at Self Help Africa says: “We focus on ending hunger and poverty in rural Africa. 250 million people across the continent suffer hunger and malnutrition and the funds raised by schemes like the Kirby Way Cycle can make a real difference to many of those lives. It will support the planting of 200,000 trees, where they will not just remove carbon from the atmosphere, but will also provide food, shade, shelter and restore and rehabilitate degraded farmland, and support thousands of farming households to provide for their families today, and for years to come. I’d like to wish all of the cyclists the best of luck and express Self Help Africa’s appreciation and gratitude to Kirby Group Engineering for their amazing support”.

Founder of Warriors for Humanity, Alan Kerins says: “I’ve worked with the team at Kirby for several years and I understand their dedication to looking after their people and supporting people in need. The Kirby Way Cycle is a fantastic innovative project that will have a real and positive impact in Ireland and in Africa”.

Support for The Kirby Way Cycle has come from numerous organisations and supply chain partners.

Pictured above: Sean Kelly, Melandri Van Zyl, Mikey Ryan (Kirby) and Alan Kerins (Warriors for Humanity) Photo: Alan Place