For immediate release                                                       10 April 2008

ABP LAUNCHES PEDAL THE PORTS -

A 1,600-MILE tandem BIKE RIDE FOR MOTOR NEURONE DISEASE

Associated British Ports (ABP) today announces the launch of Pedal the Ports, a large-scale fundraiser for Motor Neurone Disease (MND), which will see sponsored ABP employees taking part in a 1,600-mile tandem bike ride around the Company's 21 ports, throughout June.

Starting and finishing at the Port of Grimsby, the tandem - ridden by a shifting, relay group of employees - will circumnavigate Britain in an anticlockwise direction, calling at the Ports of Immingham, Hull, Goole, Troon, Ayr, Silloth, Barry, Fleetwood, Garston, Swansea, Port Talbot, Barry, Cardiff, Newport, Plymouth, Teignmouth, Southampton, Ipswich, Lowestoft and King's Lynn, before arriving back in Grimsby for a port/community open day on 5 July. This will allow the general public to gain access to and experience the workings of a modern port while enjoying a number of activities designed to raise more funds. Events are also being planned at other ports along the route.

John Fitzgerald, ABP Port Director, Grimsby & Immingham, explains the motivation behind the campaign: "The idea for Pedal the Ports originated last year, when my predecessor at Grimsby & Immingham, Nick Palmer, announced his decision to retire from the role because he himself is suffering from MND.

"As Nick worked at all of ABP's ports over his 27 years at the Company, I thought it would be a fitting tribute to launch a scheme that somehow involved all of those locations, while also raising money for MND research and care. Specifically, we want to raise money for the charity Motor Neurone Disease Association (MND Association), and the Sheffield Institute Foundation (SIF), which aims to develop an international centre of excellence for basic and clinical research in MND, with all the key research skills under one roof."

He added: "We also thought it would be a good opportunity to bring together as many of ABP's employees, customers and suppliers in a collaborative effort in recognition of Nick's contribution to the port community in UK."

Denise Davies, Head of Community Fundraising at the MND Association, said: "At the moment there are around 5,000 people living with MND in the UK and we are here to ensure that they along with their families can get the care and support they need, as well as funding and promoting research into causes of the disease and effective treatments. We can only do this thanks, in part, to amazing fundraising events like the Pedal the Ports challenge which we know will be a huge success and will help to raise awareness of MND around the country."

Irene Beard, Foundation Secretary of the Sheffield Institute Foundation for MND, said: "SIF is extremely grateful to Nick Palmer, John Fitzgerald and to ABP for their initiative which will contribute to the creation of the first European Institute for MND research in Sheffield, an important step towards finding a cure for this terrible condition."

 

Enquiries:

John Fitzgerald

ABP Port Director, Grimsby & Immingham

Tel: 01472 359181

Louise Coxon

Communications Manager, MND Association
Tel: 01604 611843

Piers Tomlinson/James Champness

ABP Communications

Tel: 020 7430 1177

For more information about the work of the MND Association, visit www.mndassociation.org/

Why is an Institute for MND needed? Visit www.sifoundation.com

This, and other news releases relating to ABP, can be found on ABP's website, address: www.abports.co.uk