Cotswold Outdoor is supporting the Wings For Life charity

IF you’re a regular visitor to your local Cotswold Outdoor store (ahem, that’ll be me), then you may have seen that the company is supporting the ‘Wings For Life’ charity.

Staff in each of the 69 stores across the UK are holding in-store events, taking part in adventure sports and collecting donations to raise funds for the charity.

Wings for Life was actually founded by motocross world champion Heinz Kinigadner and Red Bull boss, Dietrich Mateschitz after Kinigadner’s son Hannes had a tragic accident that left him tetraplegic with paralysis of all four limbs. The charity now carries out research in to a cure for spinal cord injuries – which can happen while taking part in adventure sports.

The CEO of Cotswold Outdoor is Hans Falkenburg and he recognises the work that the charity is doing and told Adventure 52 that: “We’re looking forward to giving our staff, brands and customers some really different ways of donating,” he says. “Be that a self-challenging sporting trial, or a light hearted day of fun in store, and we hope everyone will give generously.”

This weekend Cotswold Outdoor staff will start a 3,000 mile long relay using unique methods of non-motorised transport – such as canoes, rollerblades and abseiling.

Starting this Sunday (29th June), the relay will see a baton passed by Cotswold Outdoor store staff all over the UK from Fort William to Truro.

Covent Garden staff will complete the first leg on a four man bike to Cotswold Outdoor’s Leyden Street store in East London.

As the baton travels around the country, it will be engraved with the names of each participant.

Later this summer, the relay will come to a finish at the Piccadilly store and the baton will then be framed and housed at Cotswold Oudoor HQ in Kemble.

“We’ve already seen lots of in-store fundraising since we announced our Wings for Life partnership and we’re hoping that the relay will be the crowning glory of our activity,” adds Hans Falkenburg. “What we have proposed is an ambitious challenge, as well as a chance for staff to show their creativity through their relay methods. We’re overwhelmed by the support we have received so far and wish all of our team members taking part the very best of luck.”