On 23 May 2024, Mark Smith (CEO of Billington Holdings) and Simon Thrift (Technical Director of Billington Structures) participated in the annual UKReiif Sportif Cycle Ride 2024 event, Harrogate, to raise money for Yorkshire Children’s Charity.
Yorkshire Children’s Charity relies on the generosity of the community to make a positive impact on the lives of disadvantaged children and young people. Events like the UKREiiF Charity Cycle Ride are crucial for raising the necessary funds to support their initiatives, and Billington Structures is proud to be involved with these fundraising efforts. This charitable cycle event ran in conjunction with UKREiiF – a major UK conference which takes place over 3 days.
The event aims to accelerate the Levelling Up Agenda, whilst unlocking sustainable, inclusive and transformational investment across the UK. The purpose is to connect people from the public sector across the UK, investors, funders, developers and many businesses within the UK construction sector.
Mark and Simon embarked on the challenging 90 km ride, braving steep inclines and rainy weather conditions. They completed the distance in 3 hours and 56 minutes.
Mark Smith (CEO) had this to say regarding the event; “Participating in events like these is incredibly rewarding. It’s not just about the ride but about supporting our community and contributing to charitable causes that make a difference.” Simon Thrift (Technical Director), emphasised the importance of their participation, “It was a privilege to ride for such a worthy cause. The support from the community and the scenic Yorkshire landscape made the experience unforgettable.”
Events such as these drive our commitment to social value and our continued support for local charities through events and our Billington Charity Foundation.
The Billington Holdings Group is proud of its achievement in maintaining a positive impact on communities and the environment through various initiatives.
So far, in 2024 we have worked in partnership with Betterweld to celebrate the launch of their new welding academy in our facility at Shafton. The company has also supported the initiative for Betterweld’s Apprenticeship Programme.
Billington Structures also joined the 5% club which aims at increasing the number of apprentices, sponsored students and graduates on formal programmes to 5% of their total workforce within five years of joining.
Alongside the work we’ve done with Betterweld, we have also taken part in various educational engagement days, presentations and activities – so far this year we have participated in Outwood Academy and Barnsley Live Apprenticeship. We continue to support educational institutions and talk to learners about their future career paths within the structural steel industry.
We look forward to continuing our support for local charities by participating in events and developing further network connections within the industry.
