Alex Basford’s eldest daughter Mia died of bacterial meningitis on her 20th birthday in 2023. Since then, Mia’s family and friends have been going above and beyond to fundraise and raise awareness for Meningitis Now.
Along with his workmates and friends, Alex is having a very busy summer of fundraising. First off, he and his colleagues from kff foodservices took on the South Downs Way, a 100-mile route from Winchester to Brighton. Members of the key accounts team spent 24 hours in relay to cover the miles, which include an incline of 12,500 ft in total.
Rallied round
Mark Taylor, kff’s managing director, said: “I’m very proud of how the team has rallied round to support Alex and raise funds for this amazing cause.
“It was a real team effort with the key accounts team walking the route in less than 24 hours and our development chef even drove the support van. A massive well done to everyone.”
Alex and the team, which includes many members of Mia’s extended family, then took part in the London to Brighton Bike Ride, which happened to fall on Father’s Day.
It was a hard 55-mile ride, both physically and mentally for all involved, but the reward of seeing supporters at the finish line, as well as raising an incredible £1,955, was more than enough to make it feel worth it.
Pedal for Mia
One team member said: “Every penny we raise we raise for Meningitis Now and every mile we pedal, we pedal for Mia.
Thank you to EVERYONE who has supported #TeamMeebs on this event by donating, sharing the posts, messages of encouragement or being there yesterday to support us.”
The #TeamMeebs fundraising pot so far in 2025 stands at over £20,000. This won’t be the end of the team’s amazing fundraising efforts, so keep up to date here on the blog and on our social channels.
