New Bike Scheme is on a Roll in Stafford

A new cycling health project rolls into action next week.

Stafford Borough Council is launching the pilot Cycling for Health scheme to encourage more local people to use bikes.

And to mark the launch of the initiative the Council is inviting everyone to come along for a day of fun and cycling on Sunday 16 November. Activities include a ‘Treasure Hunt’ on bikes and a cycle along the traffic-free Isobel Trail. Local cycle training team ‘Rapid Riding’ will also be along on the day to offer advice on safe cycling.

Cyclists should bring along their bikes with the day kicking off at 10.00 am from the Back2Bikes headquarters in Greyfriars Way, Stafford and will run until 2.00 pm.

The pilot cycling scheme has been introduced following the success of the Council’s award-winning ‘Walking for Health’ programme. The year-long project is being jointly funded by Stafford Borough Council and South Staffordshire Primary Care Trust’s Practice Based Commissioning group.

As well as the health benefits, cycling is also an environmentally friendly and cheap way to travel.

Councillor Stan Highfield, Cabinet Member for Environment and Health, said: “This is a great initiative building on the success of the popular walking for health programme.

“Cycling improves many aspects of health and can be used to tackle obesity as well as providing a very green mode of transport to help combat climate change and other environmental problems.”

Back2Bikes is the town’s bicycle recycling centre and people can borrow a bike on the day for a small deposit. If anyone requires further information about the new cycling project or fun day they can go to www.staffordbc.gov.uk/sd or contact the Council’s ‘Cycling for Health’ co-ordinator, Kim Squires, on ksquires@staffordbc.gov.uk or 01785 616686.

The ‘Walking for Health’ programme was given the new ‘Walking the Way to Health Initiative’ (WHI) accreditation earlier this year. The award from the ‘British Heart Foundation’ and ‘Natural England’ recognises the benefits the scheme makes to improve health in the community.