Cork Counselling Services is one of five charities set to benefit from Deloitte One Good Turn national cycling fundraiser, which started its first leg in Cork on 30th August.

Our picture shows Olympian Brendan Boyce, Deloitte CEO Harry Goddard and our own Hugh Morley warming up for the first leg.

The fundraiser has seen 116 participants from Deloitte cycle all or part of the 700-kilometre route around the island of Ireland in five days, connecting all the Deloitte offices on the island of Ireland while also raising much-needed funds for mental health and homelessness charities.

One Good Turn, which started in Cork City on Monday, is Deloitte Ireland’s flagship fundraiser for 2021 and has already exceeded its target of raising €120,000.

The cyclists visited the firm’s five offices in Cork, Limerick, Galway, Belfast and Dublin, where the last leg will finish.

Charities that will benefit from the initiative include Cork Counselling Services, Simon Community, Jigsaw Galway, Bluebox Creative Arts Therapy and A Lust for Life.

The trip began with a 116-kilometre cycle from Cork to Limerick; followed by 114 kilometres from Limerick to Galway; 167 kilometres from Galway to Cavan; a 146 kilometres ride from Cavan to Belfast; and concluded with a 184 kilometre cycle from Belfast to Dublin. The group is made up of cyclists of all abilities, with a small number participating virtually.

As part of Deloitte’s partnership with Team Ireland, the Deloitte cyclists have been supported by a number of Ireland’s Tokyo 2020 Olympians, including Brendan Boyce, Aifric Keogh and Natalya Coyle, amongst others, who provided motivational support and guidance throughout the week.

Harry Goddard, CEO, Deloitte Ireland said:

Last year we asked our staff which causes were most important to them, with mental health coming out as one of the top responses; as a result, we will be fundraising for Irish mental health charities through One Good Turn.

The mental health and wellbeing of our people is a key priority for us, and so it is fitting that this fundraiser gives us an opportunity to support these incredible charities which are a real refuge for people in communities across Ireland and continued to be despite the challenges presented by the pandemic. The dedication shown by our team to their training and fundraising has been inspirational and we’re looking forward to the journey and hopefully meeting our fundraising target.