Halfords to support servicemen

Halfords has joined forces with Help for Heroes, the charity that raises money to support servicemen and women wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq. Halfords will support Help for Heroes by raising money in all of its 430 stores nationwide and sponsoring the Halfords Help for Heroes Bike Ride, the signature event that links the battlefields of Northern France with the wounded of today.

Halfords Help for Heroes Bike Ride 2008 will set off on the 26 May, from HMS Victory in Portsmouth before crossing to the beaches of Normandy and will ride through the battlefields, via Dieppe to the Somme and then to Dunkirk. From Dunkirk, the 300 sponsored cyclists will return to Dover and then, on 1 June, will travel to London where they will be joined by hundreds of other riders to cycle through the capital to the Cenotaph.

Halfords will support the campaign by selling Help for Heroes car magnets and wristbands in all of its 430 stores. Halfords will also be donating a month’s worth of sales from its Bike Care Plan, a scheme that provides cycle maintenance and repairs carried out by trained mechanics.

Paul McClenaghan, trading director of Halfords said: “Halfords is proud and delighted to be able to offer its support to this charity. Funds that we raise will enhance the facilities at Headley Court, the tri-service rehabilitation centre in Surrey, and ensure that our wounded receive the very best care.”

Bryn Parry, the founder of Help for Heroes, said: “Help for Heroes was launched in October 2007 and we have raised more than £4 million in our first six months. The public reaction to the appeal has been wonderful and this initiative by Halfords will make a real difference to our service personnel who have sacrificed, and continue to sacrifice, so much. This appeal is all about participation and we are delighted to welcome Halfords and to know that they will go the extra mile to help our heroes.”