Write a commentLast Saturday, dedicated Sainsburys' staff were to be seen outside Newrys' Quays Shopping Centre, pedalling furiously, and getting nowhere. That's because they were tethered to static exercise bicycles and were working up a sweat in anticipation of the arrival of their Big Bike Team.
The Big Bike Team, on real bicycles, have been touring Northern Ireland to raise funds for various local charities. On Saturday it was the turn of Newry/Dundalk Samaritans to benefit from their efforts. Samaritans Volunteers, together with Sainsburys staff and the local Deputy-Mayor were on hand to welcome the tired athletes. The cyclists were given drinks and snack-food to raise their blood-sugar levels enough to send them on their fund-raising way.
The local branch of Samaritans expressed heartfelt thanks for the efforts made, and funds raised, by the Big Bike Team.
Sainsburys have nominated Samaritans as a favoured charity for 2014, and will be organising other local fundraising events throughout the year.
If you neeed to talk confidentially to somebody; talk to Samaritans.
You can get in touch with them by phone, 028 (048) 302 66 3 66, by email jo@samaritans.org or text 07725 90 90 90, as well as by visiting the branch at St Colman's Park, Newry to speak to a volunteer face to face.
Samaritans have been in Newry for 40 years and are here, around the clock, every single day of the year. If you want to talk, they are there to listen.
