Willmott Dixon’s first ever company cycle ride has netted £100,000 for Action Medical Research, which funds research to help sick and disabled children and young people.

The huge sum was raised by over 200 riders who completed either a 69 or 86 mile course across Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire, which took in the village where Willmott Dixon was founded in 1852 and the site of its first ever project on Wimpole Estate.

The inaugural Willmott Dixon Classic also saw Paralympian gold medallist Jody Cundy greeting the riders and seeing them off. Jody won gold in Rio by regaining his Kilo Paralympic title in a new Paralympic record of 1:04.492 and then taking gold with Louis Rolfe and Jon-Allan Butterworth in the Mixed Team Sprint C1-5 at the final track cycling event.

Group chief executive Rick Willmott:

“It was a brilliant feat by all riders to raise £100,000 for Action Medical Research and shows how much can be achieved when we all focus on doing something amazing. The fact that this money will go towards funding research that will help save young lives and improve treatment for children with serious conditions gives us all immense pride.”

The Classic’s route celebrated Willmott Dixon's roots, with cyclists going through Bassingbourn village where John Willmott founded the company in 1852 with his first workshop.

His direct descendant Rick Willmott led the riders, with the route also taking in the Wimpole Estate where the company had its first project to build a well before visiting recent projects like The European Bioinformatics Institute and a new Sunesis school in Biggleswade.

Riders had a choice of completing either a rolling 86-mile route or a shorter 69-mile option, with most opting for the longer route in what is set to be an annual event to raise money for good causes.

Rick continued: “We invest over £2.5 million a year in the community and have a goal to improve 10,000 young lives by 2020, so contributing to society’s well-being is part of our DNA.”

The Willmott Dixon Foundation is the company’s vehicle to add social value for its communities. It defines and measures its impact in contributing to wider society beyond its day-to-day activities. Willmott Dixon is an industry leader in community investment and sustainability and is the first company to measure a social value target on impact rather than input, ensuring real results for the people it aims to help.