Motorway service provider Welcome Break has raised £625,000 for BBC’s Children in Need this year, thanks to the generosity of its customers and staff.

Welcome Break has been a supporter of the charity for the past eight years, and the amount raised beat last year’s achievement of £575,000. This grand total has been the result of a concerted fundraising effort on the part of Welcome Break employees, both on site, the support office, and donations from customers across the country.

Activities undertaken included the Jurassic Challenge, which saw Welcome Break’s support office team complete a nine-hour mountain bike ride or hike through the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, and raised £50,000 and a further £50,000 was raised at the Annual Children In Need Charity Ball and auction attended by employees and suppliers. Additionally, throughout the year all 27 Welcome Break sites have been selling official BBC Children in Need merchandise, as well as organising their own local fundraising events.

Rod McKie, CEO of Welcome Break, also took part in his own 24-hour challenge this month, as he and his team of Superheroes travelled from Scotland to Hartshead Moor in 24 hours, visiting all 27 Welcome Break sites on the way. He completed a series of tasks throughout the challenge, including making five perfect lattes and selling them to the highest bidder in 20 minutes, Speed Jenga using BBC Children in Need rock, and challenging his Superhero team to test who could make the fastest Superhero Whopper in Burger King. He raised £8,827 for Children in Need during the challenge.

McKie commented: “Everyone at Welcome Break is thrilled with how much money we have raised for BBC Children in Need through an outstanding team effort. We are very proud of our partnership with this charity and are overjoyed that the results of our fundraising will make such a difference to so many lives across the country.”