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From l to r: Ben Bradshaw, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport; Andrew Adonis, Transport Secretary; Olympic gold medalist Chris Boardman; Andy Burnham, Health Secretary and John Denham, Communities Secretary outside UCH |
A quartet of government ministers got on their bikes at UCLH today to urge employers to improve facilities for cyclists and get more people riding to work.
UCLH is one of more than 70 major public and private sector employers today pledging to implement a new Cycle to Work guarantee in a bid to transform the numbers of people cycling to work.
Andy Burnham, Health Secretary; Andrew Adonis, Transport Secretary; Ben Bradshaw, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and John Denham, Communities Secretary, all helped launch the ‘guarantee’ on the steps of University College Hospital in Euston Road. They were joined by former Great Britain Olympic cycling gold medallist Chris Boardman.
UCLH’s Cycle to Work Scheme was launched in March 2009 by Channel 4 News anchorman and nearby resident Jon Snow. Since then more than 100 members of staff have signed up. The scheme is financed by UCLH Charity and has enabled staff to make savings in tax and national insurance contributions to reduce the cost of a new bike by almost half the retail value.
By signing up to the new ‘Cycle to Work Guarantee’, the Trust has gone one step further and is making a commitment to provide staff with safe bike storage and changing facilities.
Health Secretary Andy Burnham said NHS trusts needed to show leadership in promoting cycling in their communities.
He added: “You are ahead of the game here. If Trusts are looking for inspiration they should look to UCLH because it is clear that you have been onto this for some time. It’s brilliant.”
Over the coming year UCLH is planning to improve secure cycle parking and shower and locker facilities at all of its sites. The Trust already has excellent shower and changing facilities in the basement of the University College Hospital Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing. UCLH’s new cancer centre, set to open in 2012, will have outstanding facilities for people who cycle to work.
Introducing the ministers, Sir Robert Naylor, UCLH chief executive, said: “It is particularly relevant to launch the scheme at UCLH because we are clearly very keen on fitness and health. It is great for us and for our staff and we warmly welcome it.”
Jon Snow, UCLH’s cycling champion, said that when he started cycling 40 years ago it was a ‘lone activity’. He joked: “The idea that we would see four Ministers of the Crown advocating cycling is to me completely unthinkable!”
Dr Rob Stein, UCLH cancer consultant, who cycles eight miles to-and-from Kensington every day, said the Cycle to Work scheme had allowed him to buy the ‘bike of my dreams’. He added: “I think it’s a fantastic scheme and it’s going to make the life of all cyclists much better.”
The Cycle to Work Guarantee is being promoted by Government and employers together to offer employees a healthy and green option to get to and from work. Typically, a third or more of staff of large urban employers live within half an hour bike ride of their place of work, but only about 3 per cent currently cycle to work.
The ‘Cycle to Work Guarantee’ is the latest in a series of initiatives to improve cycling facilities, capitalising on the fact that nearly half of all people in Britain over the age of 11 own a bike and two in five of all journeys are under two miles.
This initiative also supports the Government's Change4Life campaign to support people to 'eat well, move more and live longer'. As part of this Bike4Life is helping people across the country get on their bikes, one way to make small changes that can bring short and long term benefits to health.
Further information for employers and employees on the Cycle to Work Guarantee can be found here www.cycletoworkguarantee.org.uk.