Team Takes on 80-Mile Challenge for Comic Relief!

The team at Potters loves a challenge—and we love raising money for a great cause even more! So, on Friday, 21st March 2025, they hopped on their bike (well, exercise bike!) to take on a cycling challenge in support of Comic Relief.

The distance? 80 gruelling miles—the distance between Hopton-on-Sea in Norfolk and Five Lakes in Essex, without even leaving Reception!

For a great cause

Comic Relief has been making a difference for decades, funding incredible projects in the UK and around the world to tackle poverty, support mental health initiatives, and provide crucial aid where it’s needed most. Every pound raised helps change lives, and the team was determined to do their bit!

Shane Brinded from IT kicked the challenge off at 9am

Throughout the day, a dedicated team of over 25 riders took turns in 20-minute stints on a single exercise bike set up in Reception at Hopton-on-Sea, kindly provided by the team at Palms. Working together to smash the target were a few seasoned cyclists, but most were in it for the fun. And the leg burn!

And because no charity fundraiser is complete without a little extra indulgence, the Sales & Marketing team were also busy hosting a delicious bake sale—a spot of added fuel for our cyclists!

The Big Bake Sale was a big hit over lunch

Your support

Having completed the 80-mile challenge by mid-afternoon, the team even started cycling back!

In total, 113 miles were covered, with the Potters Friends Foundation donating £5 for every extra mile cycled.

To our wonderful guests departing and arriving at Hopton-on-Sea during the challenge, thank you for your support and generous donations.

We’re delighted to say that the challenge and the bake sale raised a whopping £503.13 for Comic Relief, and you can watch some of the highlights from the day below:

Well done to everyone who took part, baked, or donated in support of this brilliant cause.

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A familiar face at Five Lakes?

Speaking of Comic Relief, if you’ve bumped into the delightful Bex Cutbush at Five Lakes on your travels, you may think to yourself that you’ve seen her face before.

Well, perhaps it was a Comic Relief TV campaign, in which she appeared alongside Matt Lucas of Shooting Stars and Little Britain fame.

We bumped into Becca Cutbush in The Orangery at Five Lakes

For some context, before Bex joined the Potters team in 2022, she worked as cabin crew for British Airways. During her four years with BA, she was also part of their internal Entertainment Society. They organised an annual pantomime for charity and, in this instance, were called upon to get on camera.

Becca on the left with Matt Lucas and her British Airways cabin crew colleagues

Bex said: “There were four of us filmed for the advert, but they had to cut the length from a minute to 30 seconds. Only my part made the final version!

“Matt was so lovely. He kept asking me if I’d done anything like this before—he thought I was a natural! But at the same time, he was really approachable, offering advice and answering questions throughout the shoot.”

And we’ve found it, right here, for your viewing pleasure!