Industry Representatives to Cycle to PLASA Show for Backup Charity

	2017 cyclists for Backup

A group of industry representatives will cycle from Chippenham to London Olympia on Saturday, September 15, to increase awareness of mental health within the entertainment and events industries. All donations will go to Backup, the technical entertainment charity which helps industry members and their families get back on their feet during times of hardship.

Starting at 7:00am, the cyclists will traverse 100 miles across the North Wessex Downs towards London in time for the PLASA Show. So far, eight cyclists have signed up to the challenge, including Peter Heath and Shane McGreevy of PLASA, John McEvoy and Bryan Raven of White Light, and Ben Tredwell of Autograph. However, they are encouraging even more industry colleagues to sign up.

This bike ride is part of an ongoing collaboration between PLASA and PSA to support the mental health of all those working within lighting, AV, live sound, rigging, and staging. This collaboration continues during PLASA Show 2018 where a panel will discuss ways to recognize and improve mental well-being.

According to Mind, one in four people in the UK will experience mental health issues, and the live entertainment industry is no exception, where high-pressured environments, anti-social hours, and long periods of time away from home are often part of the job.

Last year, a team of industry representatives raised over £3,500 by cycling between Bath and PLASA Show 2017 at London Olympia. This year, they hope to raise even more.

Heath, managing director of PLASA says, "We are looking forward to this challenging bike ride, and our hopes are high to raise a significant amount for this important issue which affects so many within our industry."

To donate to this worthy cause please visit the URL below.

To sign up for the bike ride please email: peter.heath@plasa.org.