Laser Process

Portrait Bench art works scheme marches on

Laser Process's link-up with national transport charity Sustrans to produce more than 200 steel art works has another successful sculpture in place with two more Portrait Benches being unveiled in Havering (left) and Broxbourne.

The characters represented by the statues have all been chosen by the local communities and are part of an ongoing project funded by Sustrans, the national sustainable transport charity.

The chosen characters for the London Borough of Havering are Harry Eccleston OBE, artist and bank note designer, Dick Bouchard MBE, founder of Romford Drums and Trumpets Corps and King Henry VIII.

For their Portrait Bench, voters in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, selected US airman Lieutenant Ellis, who sacrificed a chance to bale out of his stricken aircraft in order to avoid a built up area. He, along with his crew of nine, perished in the crash. Two symbols of the local community, a canoeist and a badger, were also chosen.

Saddling up for charity

We’re getting in to the saddle with disability equipment manufacturer Quest 88 to help them raise £1m in a charity bike ride from John O’Groats to Land’s End.

We’re hoping to offer a range of support to the 932-mile Ride Side by Side cycle challenge set to take place over just 12 days in April next year, the money raised will go to the Help for Heroes and Caudwell Children charities.

The firm, which makes cycles and mobility aids for disabled people, will use four companion tricycles to cycle the length of the UK.

Full details of who’ll be taking part are still being decided but it will include three staff from Quest 88 riding with three members of the armed forces, who have been injured serving their country. The fourth tricycle is set to be ridden by a variety of well-known figures who are ambassadors for Caudwell Children.

Dave Lindsey, managing director of Laser Process, said: “It’s great to be involved in such a fantastic fundraising project, we’re planning to provide support in whatever way we can financially and helping to promote the ride.”

David Vernon-Henshaw, Quest 88 joint managing director, said: “We’re all really looking forward to the ride and having Laser Process onboard is great support to help us get to the £1m target.”

To make a donation send a cheque, payable to Ride Side By Side, to Laser Process, for more details see the challenge website - www.ridesidebyside.info .