Travel industry veteran Mike Greenacre plans to mark his 73rd birthday this summer with a fundraising cycle ride in aid of Just a Drop.
The former managing director of The Co-operative Travel group will take on a 73-mile round-trip from Chester to Liverpool to raise money for the international water charity which is supported by many travel firms.
In a career spanning more than 45 years, his experience in the travel sector included senior roles at Future Travel Limited and Co-operative Travel Trading Group (CTTG). As managing director of CTTG, he played a key role in the company’s expansion before the sale of Coop Travel to Thomas Cook in 2010/11.
He was inducted into the British Travel & Hospitality Hall of Fame in 2009 and has been a long-time supporter and ambassador for Just a Drop.
Over the years, he has helped to raise awareness about the charity’s work by speaking to and working with students from the Cooperative Academy Schools.
He hopes to raise more than £2,500 with his cycle ride, which takes place on July 4.
“I’m really pleased to be able to take on this challenge to help support and raise funds for all of the good work that Just A Drop does around the world,” he said.
“While I’ve been involved with the charity for a number of years, this is the first time I’ve taken on a personal fundraising project.
“The ride is 73 miles – one mile for each of my 73 years, and while it may not seem to be a long distance, trust me, it’s totally exhausting just doing the training. It’s also the first time I’ve jumped on a bike since the early 80s.”
Just a Drop was started by Fiona Jeffery OBE at World Travel Market in 1998.
In the past year, the charity has delivered safe water, hygiene and sanitation projects across six countries, reaching more than 328,000 people in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
To donate to his JustGiving fundraising page click here.