Mr Price Group Chairman, Nigel Payne, has a passion for seeing South Africa’s unemployed youth succeed in the working world.
PASSION AND PURPOSE: When ordinary people partner together for a good cause, extraordinary things can happen. Mr Price Group Chairman Nigel Payne is proud to be part of a group of ordinary cyclists achieving extraordinary things in the seventh annual Ride for MRP Foundation supported by Absa. PICTURE: PIERRE TOSTEE
18 November 2016. Mr Price Group Chairman, Nigel Payne, successfully completed his first gruelling Ride for MRP Foundation last year with his passion for seeing South Africa’s unemployed youth succeed in the working world being the biggest motivating factor behind his return.
The challenging 660 km ride from Johannesburg to Durban, on November 27 – 28, will see forty cyclists achieving an extraordinary feat as the group is made up of passionate cyclists deeply committed to the purpose of the ride.
Funds raised from the ride will be invested in the MRP Foundation’s programmes in education and skills development that empower young people and then link them to career opportunities which ultimately helps break the cycle of poverty and inequality in South Africa.
For this year’s seventh edition of the ride, Payne will be cycling the 350 km first stage from Johannesburg to Ladysmith on Nov 27 before handing over the baton to MRP Foundation Director Natasja Ambrosio who’ll be riding the 310 km second stage from Ladysmith to Durban on Nov 28.
“The ride is tough, there’s no messing around with 350 km in one day. But if you think a day like that is tough imagine going through life uneducated, unemployed and without much hope for the future,” explained Payne who showed true grit and determination by completing the 2015 edition of the ride despite suffering debilitating back pain during the entire event.
The successful businessman and respected leader also understands the challenges many young South Africans face when searching for work and what it means to them when they land their first job well equipped for the workplace.
“My parents left school at the age of thirteen and fourteen so I have a little sense of what it’s like for people to go through life uneducated. I’m educated, my brother is educated and my kids have decent lives because somebody helped my father find a job when he was nineteen and that changed his life for the better.”
For Payne, the ultimate badge of success isn’t measured by the ride itself, but rather by the amount of funds raised that assist thousands of unemployed youth access the job market through the Foundation’s skills development programmes in the retail and supply chain space.
Over the past four years, well over 10,000 unemployed youth have been trained and gained invaluable work experience with over 4,000 graduates from the Foundations’ skills development programme, Jump Start, kick-starting thousands of careers while unlocking hundreds of millions of Rands into the pockets of South Africa’s youth.
To pledge your support for the Ride for MRP Foundation please SMS the word “Ride” to 38417 and a donation of R10.00 will be made to MRP Foundation.
Electronic donations can be made directly to MRP Foundation with the donor name and “Ride4MRP” as a reference. Section 18A tax certificates will be supplied for all donations. Contact Cathy Kinnear [email protected] for assistance with donations.
MRP Foundation
Bank: ABSA
Branch: Kingsmead (511326)
Swift Code: ABSAZAJJ
Branch Code: 632005 (Universal)
Account: 4075526746
For all media enquires please contact Pierre Tostee [email protected]
