Warrington’s Gi Group have used pedal power to raise cash for a cause close to their hearts.
The whole team of the HR and recruitment specialists got on static bikes in a cycle-a-thon in memory of Sara O’Brien, a beloved colleague who passed away in January.
For every mile cycled, the team donated £5 to Willow Burn Hospice in County Durham which provided Sara, who worked at Gi Group’s sister company TackTMI and was based in County Durham, and her family with vital support and care.
Through their efforts, the team raised enough money to fund a nurse’s care for 49 hours at the hospice.
Cindy Gunn, group head of people at Gi Group said: “When we were planning which charity to support at our conference we spoke to Sara’s family and they chose Willow Burn Hospice as the beneficiary, because Sara’s husband Tom said its “an amazing place full of fantastic people.
“Here at Gi Group, we don’t tend to have one specific charity we support but rather a collection of worthy causes that mean a great deal to our team. We feel it’s really important to play our part for a number of important charities, doing what we can to support the change they create.”
Recent research has found that, on average, hospices have increased the number of new or regained donors on their books by 59.8 per cent each year but have lost 59.6 per cent of existing givers, resulting in a constant state of stagnation.
Cindy added: “The annual awards ceremony gave us the perfect opportunity to get teams from across the country together to cycle for charity success. We had bikes at our London, Coventry, Chesterfield and Leicester branches, plus many donation buckets.
“We will also be auctioning the static bikes within the Gi Group team to raise further funds for the Hospice, ensuring we have one last push to get as many donations as possible.”
Rachel Quince, deputy chief executive at Willow Burn Hospice, said: “It’s a common misconception that hospices are fully funded by the NHS. Our hospice receives 44% of its funding from this source but for every £1 we spend, we need to raise 56p via community fundraising, retail, donations and grants.
“The money that Gi Group raised, will fund a full-time palliative care nurse at Willow Burn for one week this year. We can’t thank Gi Group enough for their kindness and generosity.”
