Dressed in pink for Breast Cancer Awareness month, Translink employees at Enniskillen Ulsterbus Depot recently took part in a static cycle raising over £400 for local charity Cancer Focus.

Over the course of the year Translink employees have been raising money for this year’s chosen charity Cancer Focus through various fundraising events. Translink employee and ‘Health Champion’ Lynda Collum said: “During the year we’ve had several fundraising events, in the springtime we did a ‘lb for £ challenge’ and raised £280 for Cancer Focus locally. That was just the guys weighing in every week and paying in money and forfeiting money if they gained weight and that was very successful. One driver lost two stone.”

She added: “Then Translink wanted us to do a pink month event for the Breast Cancer Awareness month so I instigated the static cycle.”

The static cycle took place at Enniskillen Ulsterbus Depot on Thursday, October 17 with a total of 14 Translink employees taking part.

“TMC on the Cornagrade Road very kindly supplied two static bikes and we had 14 staff members in total take part, ranging from clerical, inspectors, management and drivers and to date we’ve raised £415,” said Lynda, adding that she and one of the drivers Daphne Lindsay did some homebaking which they sold on the day to raise more money for the charity.

The static cycle started at 8.30am on the Thursday morning as employees took it in turns to do their part.

“The first driver came off duty at 8.30am so he came into the depot at 8.30am and started. It finished at about 1.30pm,” said Lynda.

“Depending on what shift or what rota the driver or whoever was on, they could have cycled anything from 20 minutes up to an hour. I did 55 minutes. It just ranged and there were two bicycles ongoing at all times,” she added.

Cancer Focus volunteers Laverne Millar and Denise Ferguson were present during the morning to help collect money.

So we had the two members at different times with the collection buckets.

“People were very generous because it is a local charity. So the whole of the money we’ve raised will be spent locally,” explained Lynda.

Noting how everyone involved really enjoyed the banter and participating in the cycle, Lynda added: “It was just a good day’s fun and raising money locally.”

Combined with money raised from the ‘lb for £ challenge’, Lynda revealed that they have raised just over £1,035 for Cancer Focus.

“We hand that money back to Enniskillen to Denise and it is then spent locally. There is a councillor based in SWAH and that money really goes towards that counselling service,” concluded Lynda.