On the 16th July, staff from VEGA  Controls took part in The ‘South Downs Plod’, a 40 mile/64Km night and day hike across The South Downs of England, from Devils Dyke, North West of Brighton to Beachy Head, Eastbourne. It involved a team of 6 navigating and walking through the night and finishing the following day on Sunday 17th July, via a series of check points along the way. The event was to raise funds for Action Medical Research, a children’s medical charity.

 The ‘Plod’ started at midnight on a (thankfully) warn and dry summers evening, the VEGA team ‘Challenge 64’ set off amongst a tide of head-torch lights with almost 300 walkers involved. However, along with the 6 walkers from VEGA participating in the event, there was also an indispensable VEGA support crew who worked in shifts through the night to rendezvous at the check points all along the route. They were the ‘unsung heroes’, providing sustenance, support and plasters!  The hike went very well, with team ‘Challenge 64’ completing the course in a very respectable14 ¾ hours. There were a few blisters and a bit of sunburn, especially from the last stages across Seven Sisters and Burling Gap! “It was a great achievement, experience and team building event, not just for the team doing the walk and their support crew, the whole company got behind us”. Said Ray Tregale, Managing Director of VEGA Controls.

The challenge was in aid of Action Medical Research for children, you can find out more about their fantastic work on their website. Fundraising donations came from all areas of the company, staff, family and friends, suppliers and customers, fund raining events – including a cream tea day where 200 cream teas were distributed on behalf of VEGA by AMR, enjoyed across the country in offices and homes on special VEGA yellow picnic cloths!

You can still donate, www.action.org.uk/sponsor/vegacontrols, the page will be open until the 15th October. After which, one lucky donator will be drawn to win a 2ft high Paddington Bear, who is currently celebrating 40 years of being the mascot of Action Medical Research! Ray concluded, “On behalf of the VEGA team and company, we would like to express our deepest thanks to all those who donated and supported us, and with a total currently approaching £4000, all the money raised has gone to a great cause.”