Glasgow property professionals take on epic 200-mile challenge to Newcastle

Fisher German is celebrating its 25th anniversary with its ‘Big 25’ charity challenge, where colleagues will travel between the firm’s 25 UK office locations without using motorised transport.

This giant 25-week relay aims to raise at least £25,000 which will be distributed among 25 charities.

The firm has also pledged to match-fund any donations up to £25,000 from supporters, meaning a total of £50,000 could be split between the charities.

And Fisher German’s Glasgow office on St Vincent Street will be passed the baton by colleagues from its Doncaster office before they walk and cycle 204 miles all the way to its Newcastle office.

The team in Glasgow chose to raise money for Simon Community Scotland, a charity which provides safe spaces for homeless people, offering food, clothing and showers, as well as providing advice on getting a job or combatting addiction.

The charity was chosen after Associate Partner Ralph Gurevitz met a homeless woman sleeping rough one evening close to the office.

“I had left something at the office one day, so I went back that evening with my daughter and saw the woman in the doorway of a nearby building,” Ralph said.

“It was a freezing evening, so we thought we should get her some hot food. We visited a McDonalds and got her a meal and a hot chocolate. She was very grateful to us for thinking of her.

“We asked her if she needed any further help or if she needed taking anywhere. She politely declined, so we left her be.

“I saw her again a little while later and got her food for a second time and wondered if any organisations could help her. My wife told me about Simon Community Scotland, who help homeless people in Glasgow and the rest of the country.

“We reached out to them about her, and they said they knew the woman, although she tends to refuse offers of direct help. They also invited us along to their premises just a short distance from our office for us to see their work first-hand.

“When the Big 25 challenge came along and we were thinking of charities to support, Simon Community Scotland just made sense to us. The work they do for people who have fallen on hard times in Glasgow is amazing.”

Fisher German’s Glasgow team set off on their journey after a bagpiper played a fanfare.

Their journey will now see them walk to Falkirk via Kirkintilloch, before a long cycle through Edinburgh, Dunbar, Berwick-upon-Tweed across the border, and Bamburgh, before arriving in Newcastle on Wednesday, June 25.

Marie McShane, Relationships and Partnerships Manager at Simon Community Scotland, said: “Simon Community Scotland can’t thank the team at the Fisher German Glasgow office enough for choosing us as part of the Big 25 Challenge. Any funds raised will help us provide safe places, support and hope to many people in our community who desperately need this. Amidst the cost-of-living crisis and housing emergency more people than ever before are at risk of homelessness. Good luck to everyone taking part and thank you for helping us make a difference.”

The Big 25 challenge coincides with Fisher German undergoing a major rebrand, positioning it as a pioneering, driven consultancy with trusted experts who share knowledge across the business and provide substantial added value to clients.

The firm has also updated its external logo and colours to reflect a shift in mindset, a change in its growth strategy, and its future ambitions.

Future Big 25 legs will see colleagues travel by tandem bikes, unicycles, open water swimming, and even a conga line as part of the mammoth 2,400-mile journey between the offices.

Anyone wishing to donate should visit Fisher German’s GiveWheel link at https://givewheel.com/fundraising/7005/fisher-germans-big-25-challenge/.