ROUTES AFRICA: Routes and UBM Make Donation to The Gorilla Organization

Just six weeks ago, eleven members of the Routes team endured pain as they joined over 40,000 brave souls to take to the streets of Manchester on what was one of the hottest days of the year to raise funds ahead of this year’s Routes Africa forum, a day that truly put Uganda in the spotlight.

They were taking part in the 10km BUPA Great Manchester Run, an annual event that brings professional, amateur and charity runners together in aid of a multitude of charities and which starts right outside of the Manchester City Centre headquarters of Routes.

Uganda was strongly represented in the run with Moses Kipsiro securing a famous victory in a sprint finish, just seconds ahead of his childhood hero, Haile Gebrselassie. With this year’s Routes Africa taking place in the country, The Gorilla Organization, a charity that works within Central Africa (Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo) to protect the endangered mountain gorilla in its native habitat was selected as the chosen charity. And in the spirit of the event, they dressed up for the occasion with one member of staff disguised as a banana and another participating in full gorilla outfit.

Thanks to the generous support of the route development community, members of staff, friends and families and a notable donation from our parent company UBM, they raised £1,179.39 and the person behind the initiative, Jon Howell, Tourism Development Manager, UBM Routes was able to present the cheque to Joyce Kigozi, Operations Manager, The Gorilla Organization and Dr Andrew Seguya, Executive Director, Uganda Wildlife Authority at last night’s Routes Africa Welcome Reception.

Speaking last night after being presented with the cheque, Ms Kigozi was appreciative of the efforts taken to raise these funds for the organisation. “Thanks you so much,” she said to The HUB in an address to the Routes team and its sponsors. “Our work is only possible because of thoughtful contributions from people like yourselves. I want to assure you the £1,179 will be put to good use to save the Gorillas. On behalf of the Gorilla Organization and all its staff in both London and Africa we want to thank you so much,” she added.

Her sentiments were echoed by Dr Seguya. “I would like to also thank the team at Routes and UBM Live and all those that participated in the Greater Manchester event for what you are doing for Uganda. We appreciate the role of air transport in developing tourism and we think it is great that representatives of this industry have worked on this initiative to protect the Mountain Gorillas,” he said.

“We have just completed a census of Mountain Gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and we now have a figure of more than 400 of these rare animals, from 340 just six years ago and this has been one of the biggest achievements of conversation. We really promise that these resources will be put to very good use to conserve these animals in partnership with The Gorilla Organization,” he added.

Congratulations to all the Routes team that took part in the run (in alphabetical order)… Tom Atkinson, Marketing Executive; Chris Hayes, Digital Business Development Manager – Routesonline; Jon Howell, Tourism Development Manager; Emma Lambert, Travel Executive; Sean Lawrence, Group Accountant; Natasha Peck, Marketing Director; Anna Shires, Airline Manager; Kirsty Studholme, Scheduling Executive; Caryn Turton, Travel Manager; Lee Weaver, Graphic Designer and Claire Woolstencroft, Human Resources Director.