A Lister Hospital appeal raising cash to upgrade facilities for young patients has received a welcome windfall of more than £1,700 thanks to a construction company’s 1,000-mile green fundraising event.

Employees from sites and offices which are part of the Bedfordshire-based Kier group travelled the length and breadth of the UK using only non-motorised transport.

The teams taking part cycled, paddled and walked their section of the journey before handing over the special cuddly Kier Bear ‘baton’ to the next team, with supporters able to track their progress on Twitter by using the hashtag #wheresthebear.

After starting in Ayrshire, employees travelled across the country with Kier Bear through Speke, Plymouth and London before finally returning home to Kier’s head office near Sandy. The journey as a whole raised £32,000 for a variety of local and national good causes.

The Kier Infrastructure team, which is based at the firm’s HQ, chose to donate the money they raised to the East and North Herts NHS Trust Magic of Play appeal to build a new playroom for children staying at the Lister.

Executive director for infrastructure Sean Jeffery said: “I was astounded at the enthusiasm that our teams took to this challenge with, and by the amount we’ve raised.

“The Magic of Play appeal plays a huge part in making sure the children staying at the Lister Hospital have a warm, fun environment that can keep them entertained and also help with their recovery. We’re delighted to donate to this cause and can’t wait to see the new playroom open.”

Charity fundraiser Zoe Doherty added: “We are extremely grateful to Kier for their very generous donation of £1,718.76.

“It’s never very nice for children having to stay in hospital. With Kier’s support we will ensure that we can provide the 3,000 poorly children who visit the Lister every year with a playroom that is warm, vibrant and which caters for every age and every illness. A massive thank you to everyone at Kier who helped raise this very generous donation.”