SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
SG Gaming Group Managing Director Phil Horne explains why he and a number of his colleagues are joining the Responsible Gambling Trust‘s latest fund raising effort – a trek along the Great Wall of China.
How many of you are going in the trek from SG Gaming and what are your goals?
There are four people in total participating in this Trek, myself, Chris Wilkinson, Paul Newens and Colin Nolan. Our aim is to raise a total of £20k for the Responsible Gambling Trust (RGT) and to CLIC Sargent – a charity that specialises in supporting children with cancer and their families.
The RGT aims to raise over £50,000 from this trip in total which will go towards helping minimise gambling-related harm in Britain. Other companies taking up this challenge include William Hill, Gala Coral, Genting UK, and the Bingo Association.
How did you first hear of this fundraising initiative?
I have been a long-standing supporter of the RGT and heard of this Trek last year. There was a lot of interest in participating in this event within SG Gaming, especially with such positive contributions and stories from previous RGT challenges.
What’s the itinerary ahead of you?
It is a 5 day Trek covering over 40km of the Great Wall, which was originally constructed to keep out nomadic tribes who raided China’s Northern frontier. The trekking challenge starts at the un-renovated section of Badaling with a vigorous upward climb along a very rough and stony path of uneven steps. During each of the 5 days on the Great Wall, everyone will trek between 6kms and 14kms along the stony path, twisting and winding its way into the mountains, interspersed with crumbling watchtowers. Apparently it is demanding but also very rewarding, particularly on a clear day when you can look at the vast and beautiful mountain ranges.
Does the Great Wall have a particular attraction for you?
A lot of the SG Gaming team showed interest in this particular event, not only because of the challenge and opportunity to do this for two great causes, but because of a chance to see a worldwide historic attraction that is rich with history, it really is a once in a lifetime opportunity and surely an experience none of us will forget.
Where do you think the next big fundraising trek should be?
There have been a lot of interesting events that have taken place in order to raise awareness for the RGT, physical challenges are always interesting and of course competitive for everyone involved. As with all events, something that is equally personally challenging is always a good thing.
Where can people show their support?
You can sponsor the SG Gaming team for the RGT via our ‘my donate’ page https://mydonate.bt.com/teams/sggaming and also for the CLIC Sargent via our Just Giving Page https://www.justgiving.com/sg-gaming
