Hartlepool Costa shop manager gets on her bike to ride 500km in just 50 days for charity

Amanda, who is manager of Costa in Hartlepool’s Middleton Grange shopping centre, is riding 500km in just 50 days to raise money for the chain’s own charity the Costa Foundation.

The company is trying to raise £50,000 from branches across the country to open a new children’s library near a school in Vietnam as part of the chain’s 50th birthday this year.

It asked staff to do 50k of exercise in 50 days. But Amanda, 30, decided to do something much bigger and pledged to do 500k on her exercise bike.

She explained: “I thought I would take it further and really challenge my body and myself and commit to a bigger challenge.”

Amanda is fitting in the challenge on her exercise bike at home after working 10-hour shifts in the shop.

She began on April 12 and has until June 1 to complete her task.

So far she has completed more than 130k and raised £350.

Amanda added: “It’s been hard but it has been good. When the shop was shut for a few weeks it was easier and I could do it at my own leisure.

"It works out at 10k a day in between working a 40-odd hour week.

"We are due to open the shop inside soon so I plan to bring the bike down for a couple of days a week so customers can also see me do it.”

Amanda said she also wanted to lead by example for her staff in the shop where she has been the manager for around four years.

The Costa Foundation’s mission is to wipe out poverty in coffee growing communities around the world and give children the chance of a safe, quality education.

The coronavirus pandemic has delayed many of its school building projects.

But the foundation has funded learning materials to promote hand washing and hygiene practises in Central and South America.

And has provided financial support to enable teachers to continue to be paid in Uganda and Zambia with partner charity PEAS (Promoting Equality in African Schools).

If you wish to sponsor, Amanda go to ‘500k in 50 days static bike challenge’ at gofundme.com

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