A group of young workers and students from Oatridge has cycled the equivalent of the road trip from Livingston to Inverness and half way back again…and although the “magnificent seven” never actually left the Almondvale shopping centre, getting on their bikes has raised more than £800 for charity.

Between them the four temporary workers, two students and a College apprentice covered 223.6 miles in a few hours on a pair of exercise bikes. If they had done it for real, they could have travelled to the Highland capital and almost reached Pitlochry on the return leg.

The event was organised by Sean Graham (18) from Broxburn; Martin Bird (21) from Polbeth; Shawn Doherty (18) from Whitburn; and Robert Ross from Uphall, who have been working at Oatridge under a scheme backed by the UK government’s Future Jobs Fund. When they got the chance to organise an event as part of a programme to enhance their employability skills, they decided to stage a Cyclethon to raise funds for the Edinburgh-based Sick Kids Foundation. Horticulture students Iain Wainwright and Stephen Scott volunteered to take their turn in the saddle, as did Oatridge horticulture apprentice Mattie Birch.

The group was helped out by the manager of JJB Sports in Livingston, who loaned the equipment to accurately record the distance pedalled.

Elaine Gammage, Oatridge’s Future Jobs Fund Workforce Development Supervisor says: “None of the lads had done anything for charity before, but they really put their hearts into it, with the help of volunteers from the College.

“It was a magnificent effort and now the team is looking forward to a visit to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children to see for themselves the work done there by the Foundation to supply comforts, facilities and equipment.”

Left to right in the picture are: Sean Graham, Mattie Birch, Elaine Gammage, Robert Ross, Iain Wainwright and Martin Bird.