JOB applicants and temps are being asked to get on their bike as part of £5,000 fundraising bid for Children’s Hospice South West.

Swindon-based recruitment consultants Wise Recruitment Group, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, are hoping to cycle 2,500 miles in aid of the hospice charity.

Bosses at the Commercial Road company are encouraging employees, job applicants and even members of the public to hop on the firm’s exercise bike.

The bike, which has toured the company’s offices in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset and Maidenhead, will be at pubs and shopping centres across Swindon this week with members of the public encouraged to see if they can cycle the ‘fastest mile’.

Leigh Walker, operations manager at Wise Recruitment Group, said: “We wanted to do something that was really worthwhile. The hospice desperately needs funding. It costs the hospice over £3million per year to run just one of the hospices and they’ve got three in their network.”

Children’s Hospice South West, which helps 400 families across the south west, was set up 25 years ago by parents Jill and Eddie Farwell.

“They were having to travel four hours from Barnstable to Oxford to get any form of respite or help for their two sick children,” Leigh said.

“We’ve been around for 25 years. We’ve been supported by the community and local businesses. We wanted to give something back.”

The firm has so far raised £4,653. But they still have 774 miles of pedalling to go – equivalent to the distance between Swindon at Shetland, the UK’s most northerly island.

Jill said: “We’re not so bad on the money, but we’re behind on the pedalling.

“Even if we pedal like crazy we’ve still got to do over 80 miles a day. Every temp that comes in, every candidate – we’re going to be throwing them on the bike.”

The firm has until next Friday to raise the £5,000 and complete the 2,500 miles.

Rather than going down the gym Chris, our sales manager, is going to be here pedalling every single night.”

Janey Hellman, corporate partnerships fundraiser for Children’s Hospice South West, said: “We are delighted that The Wise Recruitment Group have chosen to support us with their fundraising throughout 2017.

“On behalf of all of the children and families that we support at Charlton Farm we wish them a very happy anniversary year.”

Wise Recruitment Group is asking shoppers to help them meet their fundraising target. The firm’s exercise bike will be at the following places over the coming week.

Tuesday April 4 – Tesco, Ocotal Way 11am-2:30pm

Thursday April 6 – The Orbital Shopping Park, 11.30am-3.30pm

Saturday April 8 – Merlin pub, Drove Road, 11am – 2pm

Sunday April 9 – The Designer Outlet Village, 11am – 4pm

To find out more about Pedal for Precious Lives visit: www.wiseemployment.co.uk/progress.