ON JUNE 13, 60 people from Convex Insurance completed the major challenge ‘Coastal GB in Day’ – cycling the coastline of England, Scotland and Wales in 24-hours. In total, the cyclists covered 7,129km and have raised over £20,000 for Alzheimer’s Research UK so far.
The idea came from Steve Perry, who has worked at Convex Insurance for over three years. Steve pitched the UK coastline challenge as part of the company’s ‘Dream Pitch,’ an annual opportunity for colleagues to pitch an idea or big dream that Convex can turn into a reality. Over the past few months, Steve has been planning the challenge, organising the routes, enrolling colleagues and sorting logistics.
The 24-hour challenge split the coastline into routes of approximately 132km, with two cyclists on each route cycling towards each other.
Convex Insurance hosted this cycling event to help raise awareness of its charity partner, Alzheimer’s Research UK. This long-term partnership began in 2020 and over the past six years, Convex has raised over £1.8 million for the UK’s leading dementia research charity.
Steve cycled from Portree, Skye, over Bealach na bá and finished his section in Shieldaig.
On coming up with the pitch, Steve Perry, Head of Delivery, Analytics, said: “The Dream Pitch at Convex is something truly unique and a great opportunity for the people who work here.
“I have been amazed by what people have achieved thanks to the Dream Pitch and I am delighted by what we achieved with mine.
“Cycling has always been a big part of my life; I’ve taken part in many events and completed numerous bike-based challenges so pitching an idea related to a pastime I love felt like a natural fit.
“The challenge action started early with the first cyclist leaving at 4.30am on Saturday. We had great support from the on the day team who were solving problems with bikes, ensuring the tracking system worked and making sure that everyone stayed safe.
“The Scottish weather was challenging on my route and the high winds meant I had to turn back on the Bealach na Bà onto the backup route, but the ride was hugely enjoyable nonetheless.
“The last rider finished just after 9pm and it was a huge relief to see that we had both covered the distance and everyone had safely completed.
“It was also a wonderful opportunity to raise money and awareness for the great work that our charity partner, Alzheimer’s Research UK, does.
“Research shows that regular exercise, like cycling, can reduce the risk of dementia so involving the charity in our attempt to cycle the entire coast of Great Britain in one day was a very natural fit.”
Ashley Stockwell, Chief Marketing Officer at Convex said: “A huge congratulations to Convex colleagues for completing this challenge and raising over £20,000 for Alzheimer’s Research UK.
“Now in its seventh year, we are incredibly proud of the Convex Dream Pitch and how it continues to bring people’s passions to life. When Steve initially pitched the idea, we weren’t sure what it would look like.
“Fast-forward to today, and 120 total cyclists successfully cycled across 100 connected routes around Great Britain in 24-hours.
“It was a huge challenge, and we were delighted to involve our charity partner, Alzheimer’s Research UK, and continue to build on our six-year partnership together.”
Hilary Evans-Newton CBE, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK said: “We are incredibly inspired by the extraordinary effort shown by Convex’s colleagues for the ‘Coastal GB in a Day’ challenge.
“Congratulations and thank you to everyone who took part and to all involved in the planning, organising, and fundraising. Dementia is one of the greatest health challenges of our time, but we are at a pivotal moment.
“Thanks to the continued support of partners like Convex through fundraising and awareness raising events like this, we are closer than ever to ending the heartbreak of dementia.”
To see the ‘Coastal GB in a Day’ routes: Convex Coastal Circumference 2026 | Open Tracking.
