Free bikes scheme to help staff get active
Staff are geared up for cycling in the summer – thanks to a generous donation of nearly 50 bikes.
The Active Wellbeing Society (TAWS) worked with our Sustainability team to offer the bikes to employees at our Trust as well as helmets, lights, locks and access to adult learn to ride sessions.
At our Women’s Hospital, Owen Campion, Healthcare Science Assistant, was one of the lucky recipients. He said: “Earlier this year my personal bike had been vandalised, extending my commute to work and preventing me from cycling in my spare time.
“This amazing opportunity has enabled me to begin cycling once again and since receiving the bike, it has had a significant positive impact on my commute into work and will allow me to get outdoors more often. I am so grateful for this opportunity.”
A total of 46 bikes have been given to staff. Another recipient, Banta Jabbi, is an Administration Assistant, who collected his new bike at our Children’s Hospital.
He said: “As soon as I saw the scheme I applied for it. I like to run but now I’m going to combine running and biking for exercise and use the bike to travel to work.”
The giveaway is as part of TAWS’ Big Birmingham Bikes programme which aims to help remove the cost barrier to cycling and support staff to travel to work more actively and sustainably.
Shaun Jones, Active Travel Manager from TAWS, said: “Big Birmingham Bikes has been running for around 12 years now and we have given thousands of bikes out in that time.
“The funding for the bike giveaways came from the Clean Air Zone funds, to be used to provide sustainable transport options for people around the city.”
Shaun explained he had previously set up a similar scheme at a hospital in Essex and wanted to trial something similar in Birmingham.
He added: “Last year, I worked on a project with both Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. We got a real sense back then that more people would cycle to work at these locations if the barrier of cost was taken away.”
Lara Jacobs, Graduate Sustainability Officer at our Trust who helped organise the giveaways, said: "When we heard about this new scheme, we knew it was an opportunity that could not be missed.
“All our staff work incredibly hard and this scheme will help to promote both their health and wellbeing. The initiative also provides the chance for our colleagues to travel actively and sustainably, supporting our Trust net zero targets."
Following the giveaways at our two hospitals, Shaun from TAWS, said: “It’s been an incredible project to work on and hopefully our relationships with the Trust will continue to grow. It’s always a pleasure to see bikes going to people who will use them.”
Find out more about our Trust’s Green Plan and net-zero targets on our website.