Brent Cross Shopping Centre challenges customers to cycle for charity
4:40pm Friday 20th July 2012 in News 
Brent Cross Shopping Centre is encouraging customers to jump on a bike to help them raise money for charity.
From July 28 until August 11 the centre will give shoppers the opportunity to get active for one minute to raise money for the Barnet & District Athletics Club.
It will donate 60p to the charity for every shopper that spends 60 seconds on an exercise bike.
The money will go towards improving grassroots sport and inspiring a new generation of sporting heroes.
Mel Parker, Chairman of the Barnet & District Athletics Club, said: “I am really pleased that Brent Cross have given the Club the opportunity to promote the opportunities we offer to the local community – particularly when heightened interest in sport is on our doorstep.
“We hope to raise funds to engage more of the community in our activities, and in particular to encourage more young people into the sport of athletics.”
The event is being hosted in association with Access Sport, a charity which gives children, particularly in disadvantaged areas, access to a wide range of quality local sport.
Hammerson, the owner and manager of Brent Cross is hosting the cycling challenge in nine of its shopping centres across the UK.
Each centre will support a local sports club and it is hoped that £30,000 will be raised for grassroots sport.
Tom Nathan, Brent Cross general manager, said: “We’re incredibly proud to be supporting our local sporting talent.
“We are privileged to have such a strong sense of community at the shopping centre, and will encourage shoppers to spare a minute of their time to have fun and support the Barnet & District Athletics Club.”
Cry more over onion price - Times of India
Meanwhile, retail prices are barely reflective of wholesale rates and Delhiites are spending different amounts for the same vegetable across the city. Lady's finger was selling for Rs 40 per kilo in east Delhi till last week.
With barely any change in its wholesale rate since then—costing an average of Rs 14 in Azadpur on July 20—the vegetable was selling for Rs 100 per kilo in east Delhi's Preet Vihar, Rs 80 in GK-I and Rs 40 in Nangloi. Bitter gourd, the rate of which has increased by only Re 1 in the wholesale market since July 1 and was available for an average of Rs14 , was Rs 30 in Preet Vihar, Rs 80 in GK and Rs 40 in Safdarjung.
"There has been a massive rise in prices since last year," said a member of the Delhi Agricultural Marketing Board. "Potatoes that were priced at Rs 3-4 in the months of June to September in 2011, are selling for Rs 10-20 this year in the wholesale market. Onions were selling for Rs 5-6 per kilo last year and are selling for Rs 7-8 now. In fact, onions are expected to become more expensive by September-October. The crop in that season comes from Karnataka and Maharashtra. Right now there is hardly any water there and hence we are not expecting a good crop," he said.
Tomatoes—the price of which has risen from an average of Rs 8 per kilo on July 1 to Rs 22 on July 20—are not likely to become any cheaper soon. "Right now, the crop is coming from Himachal Pradesh where a shortage in rainfall led to a poor crop. The new crop from Maharashtra and Siliguri will come only in October-November. We are not expecting any change in prices till then. If at all, tomatoes can only get more expensive," said another official.
Lemon and cucumber are also slightly more expensive at present. An official explained that the demand for these vegetables was quite high and supply was not much as farmers had planted fewer crops this season.
"Since prices were not too high last year, farmers did not plant too much crop. However, there is no shortage really. Most of the price variation and hike is taking place in the retail market," said an official.
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