Richard Harvey, group chief executive of Aviva plc, is back in training this week for his 60km walk across London over two days later this month to raise money for Breakthrough Breast Cancer.
Richard Harvey, group chief executive of Aviva plc, is back in training this week for his 60km walk across London over two days later this month to raise money for Breakthrough Breast Cancer.
Recovering from a fractured metatarsal, Richard has ditched his usual Brompton bicycle and travel card pass for his trainers to walk the five miles to and from his City office from his home in south-west London. His training is in preparation for the Aviva Weekend to Breakthrough Breast Cancer event which takes place on 16 and 17 September 2006. Thousands of walkers, including 30 Aviva staff, will walk 60km across London over two days to raise money for Breakthrough’s vital research, campaigning and educational work. The money raised by Richard will specifically help fund the Breakthrough Generations Study to identify the key causes of breast cancer.
So far Richard has secured over Ł47,000 in sponsorship for Breakthrough Breast Cancer, the largest individual amount raised to date for the charity walk. Julius Gottlieb, finance director, property at Morley, Aviva’s fund management arm, is the second highest individual fundraiser, having already secured over Ł24,000 in sponsorship.
Richard said: “I’m pleased to be off the injury list and back in the squad ready for the big day.”
Richard also sits on the fundraising committee of the Breakthrough Generations Study. The study will include 100,000 women and will span half a century. By recruiting generations of women from all walks of life from age 18 upwards, the project will investigate the genetic, environmental, behavioural and hormonal factors, resulting in the most complete and reliable information on why one in nine women develop breast cancer.
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Enquiries:
Media:
Vanessa Booth, group media relations manager
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7662 2482
Hayley Stimpson, director of external affairs
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7662 7544
Notes to editors:
Photographs of Richard Harvey preparing for the walk can be downloaded from the image library at aviva.com:
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About Aviva’s Weekend to Breakthrough Breast Cancer
- Over 41,000 women in the UK are diagnosed with breast cancer each year and 13,000 – 35 women a day – die from the disease. Three hundred men are also diagnosed each year.
- This is the second Weekend to Breakthrough Breast Cancer walk in London. Last year over two thousand walkers raised over Ł5.4 million for Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Following the success of last year’s event, there will also be a second walk in Birmingham on 23-24 September.
- The Aviva Weekend to Breakthrough Breast Cancer begins with the opening ceremony on the morning of Saturday 16 September and finishes with a hope-filled afternoon closing ceremony, Sunday 17 September. Thousands of walkers will cover approximately 30 kilometres a day, travelling at their own pace. The walkers will be supported by hundreds of volunteer crew, who will provide everything from hot meals, water and snack stops, luggage transport, hot showers, portable toilets, safety on the streets, and comprehensive medical services.
About Aviva
- Aviva plc is the world’s fifth-largest insurance group and the UK’s largest insurance services provider (based on gross worldwide premiums at 31 December 2005), and is one of the leading providers of life and pension products to Europe, with substantial positions in other markets around the world.
- Aviva’s principal business activities are long-term savings, fund management and general insurance, with worldwide total sales of Ł35 billion and assets under management of Ł322 billion at 31 December 2005.