by Laura Diaz
Chairman of award-winning caravan and motorhome dealership, Salop Leisure, challenges other companies in the industry to participate in a sporting charity event
The chairman of the award-winning Shrewsbury caravan and motorhome dealership, Salop Leisure, has proven camaraderie is possible amongst industry rivals. Chairman Tony Bywater has challenged other companies in the industry to join Salob Leisure in a series of sporting challenges for the sake of charity.
In a real groundbreaking move, Bywater claimed that Salop Leisure enjoys challenges from charity. He also said that he is keen on hearing from other companies in the industry which would be interested in participating in said challenges.
He said, “These challenge matches are a great way of making money for charity and building relationships between companies.”
Salop Leisure demonstrated its attachment to sporting challenges for charity earlier this month. A team of intrepid buccaneers from the company participated in the Morris Lubricants raft race at the annual Shrewsbury River Festival. The race is expected to have raised around £5,000 for the Midlands and Wales Air Ambulance Services, which are the charities adopted by Morris Lubricants this year.
Despite finishing in last place, the seven-man team made quite a splash at the race. They built an ingenious raft in the shape of a caravan, which encouraged praise from spectators at the event.
“The caravan raft was one of the main talking points after the race. The team is already planning a lightweight raft to compete next year,” Bywater claimed.
The team faced difficulties during the race due to the raft’s weight being heavier than the rest; the raft needed to be nudged over the finish line by a support boat. Still, the team hopes to contribute to the Wales Air Ambulance Services as a result of their efforts.
The Morris Lubricants team came in third place, which awarded them revenge over Salop Leisure as the latter beat the former in a charity football match last month. This just goes to show camaraderie between rivals can bring about great opportunities for the community.
Also, the caravan-shaped raft is an opportunity to bring exposure to the world of caravanning. At least Bywater seems to think so, as he called it “a terrific marketing exercise for the caravan industry.”
The team at CaravanTimes is excited to get a glimpse at next year’s, perhaps more lightweight, caravan raft.
