Pedalling pupils raise cash at a push (bike)

High school pupils from East Renfrewshire participated in a sponsored cycle and run at Barrhead Foundry prior to a trip by East Renfrewshire schools to the country.

The task for our freewheeling pupils was to cycle or run as many miles as possible over a three-hour period on the gym’s exercise bikes, spin cycles and treadmills.

The determined young people managed to cover an incredible distance of 277 miles — which is equivalent to the distance between Barrhead to Wick (heading north) or Barrhead and Wolverhampton (heading south).

A total of 20 pupils took part in the charity funding challenge and it is only one of a number of different fundraisers the pupils are taking part in.

They will be travelling to Malawi later this month to support the work of the Betty Cunningham Trust, which aims to improve education and healthcare for the people of the Kaponda region.

Barry Cook, Active Schools team leader for East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure, said: “The pupils put in an extraordinary level of effort across the morning to try to raise as much money as possible.

“Everyone made a brilliant contribution to the overall total.”

Totals are still being totted up from the pupils’ individual sponsorship, but more than £120 alone was raised at Barrhead Foundry on the morning, thanks to the generosity of customers who threw change into donation buckets around the centre.

Maureen Sneddon from the council’s education services, who is taking part in the trip, said: “Our aim, through the upcoming visit, is to work to suport the families of the Kaponda region, and our senior pupils’ efforts through this event, and other fundraising activities, will go a long way to help.”

Malawi is among the world’s smallest countries, with a third of the country’s area being taken by Lake Malawi.