London to Brighton Charity Ride | Tiles & Stone Direct Raises £2,700+ for GOSH
55 miles. One seriously tough climb. And more than £2,700 raised for an incredible cause.
At Tiles & Stone Direct, being an independent business means more to us than simply supplying tiles, bathrooms and flooring. Our stores are part of their local communities, and giving something back is something we’re incredibly proud to support.
This September, our Managing Director, Sagren Naidoo, swapped the showroom for the saddle and took on the 55-mile London to Brighton Cycle Ride, raising more than £2,700 for Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity (GOSH Charity).
And considering this was a late entry with just a few days to prepare, it was quite a challenge!
55 Miles from London to Brighton for a Great Cause
On Sunday 13th September, our founder Sagren joined cyclists taking on the iconic route from Clapham Common in London to Brighton Seafront.
The London to Brighton Cycle Ride covers approximately 55 miles and includes one of the most famous challenges of the route: the climb up Ditchling Beacon. GOSH Charity
There were plenty of miles, plenty of hills and undoubtedly a few moments when the finish line still felt a very long way away.
But Sagren made it.
55 miles completed. Ditchling Beacon conquered. Over £2,700 raised. 💛
And, most importantly, it was all in support of an incredible cause.
Supporting Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity
Sagren chose to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, supporting its work helping seriously ill children and their families.
Funds raised for GOSH Charity help support areas including groundbreaking research, advanced medical equipment, children and family support services, and improvements to hospital wards and facilities.
What began as an ambitious last-minute cycling challenge quickly became something much bigger, with customers, colleagues, friends, suppliers and supporters getting behind Sagren and helping the fundraising total climb.
We originally hoped to raise as much as possible.
Thanks to everyone's generosity, the total has now passed an amazing £2,700.
To everybody who donated, shared the fundraiser or sent a message of support – thank you.
Every contribution helped make those 55 miles worthwhile.
Conquering Ditchling Beacon
Anyone familiar with the London to Brighton bike ride will know there is one name that tends to come up in conversation:
Ditchling Beacon.
The challenging climb comes towards the latter stages of the route, before riders make their way towards Brighton and the finish on the seafront.
Sagren made it to the top – and naturally we had to get photographic evidence!
Ditchling Beacon: CONQUERED. 🚴♂️
After that, there was only one thing left to do: get to Brighton and collect that medal.
More Than Tiles, Bathrooms & Flooring
We talk a lot about being an independent business, and this is exactly what that means to us.
Tiles & Stone Direct has grown, but we want to retain the local, independent ethos behind our business.
Today, our teams support homeowners, tilers, bathroom fitters, flooring installers, builders and other trades across our network of UK showrooms, supplying everything from wall and floor tiles to complete bathrooms, flooring and professional trade essentials. Tiles & Stone Direct
But being part of a community isn't only about what happens inside our showrooms.
It's about getting involved. It's about supporting good causes.
It's about our teams, customers and suppliers coming together.
And occasionally, apparently, it's about sending our Managing Director up one of the toughest hills in Sussex on a bicycle!
Supporting Our Local Communities
From our teams in Chelmsford, Bracknell, Dorking and Poole to Norwich, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness, we want Tiles & Stone Direct to remain a business with strong local roots. Our current showroom network stretches across eight UK locations. Tiles & Stone Direct
Each showroom has its own local team, customers and trade community, while being part of the wider Tiles & Stone Direct family.
That's why supporting charities, community initiatives and local events will continue to be an important part of what we do.
And this certainly won't be the last challenge.
There are already more fundraising plans to come...
Watch Sagren's London to Brighton Story
Sagren also spoke about the challenge, supporting Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity and why giving back matters to Tiles & Stone Direct.
▶️ [WATCH THE VIDEO – SAGREN'S CHARITY RIDE]
A Huge Thank You 💛
Finally, we want to say another enormous THANK YOU to everyone who supported Sagren.
Whether you donated, shared the fundraising page, sent him some encouragement or simply followed the journey – it all helped.
55 miles completed.
Ditchling Beacon conquered.
Over £2,700 raised for Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity.
Not bad for a last-minute challenge!
Well done, Sagren. 🚴♂️👏
And watch this space – there's plenty more to come from the Tiles & Stone Direct team.