ways2work > Who does it > Forster
Forster
Organisational challenge/context
The company wanted to encourage their staff to commute by bike and to use bikes for business travel. They set themselves the target of increasing commuter cycling to 23%, and cycling for business to 10% by 2010.
By promoting cycling to work they wanted to:
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Improve environmental performance
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Raise profile with current and potential clients
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Help retain staff and build a stronger sense of company identity
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Save money
Sustainable travel intervention(s)
In response to staff suggestions, the company instigated the following measures:
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Purchase of Bromptons (x4), available for all staff to use for business travel
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Offer of 5 minutes additional holiday per return journey to work walking or cycling
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Provision of cycle confidence training
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Provision of shower facilities through arrangement with a local gym
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Organised bike rides with Southwark Cyclists
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Biking breakfast including maintenance
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40p per mile expenses paid for business cycling
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Buddying scheme where experienced cyclists lead novices on their commute to work and home again
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A promotion of the cycle to work scheme that had been available for some time but had low take-up.
Results/benefits
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30% of staff now regularly travel by bike on business journeys, this was zero before the purchase of the pool bikes and the confidence training
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Significant increase (almost 50%) in people occasionally cycling or walking to work, as opposed to always using public transport
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Commuting by bike increased from 13% to 31% and business travel by bike increased from zero to 10% in less than a year
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Pool bikes are used daily and taxi bills have been reduced by approximately 10%
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Client engagement – having seen the benefits, two customers are looking to introduce similar cycle schemes for their staff
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Named the UK’s greenest business by the Sunday Times, who cited the cycling scheme as one of the main reasons.
Secondary benefits from enhanced reputation:
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Sunday Times Best Green Companies – winner 2009, top 20 2010
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Sustainable Cities Award – Highly commended 2009
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Led to client work
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Attracts staff – a recent recruit first heard of us through the Sunday Times award
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Creates further networks including suppliers
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Numerous requests for case studies and speaking opportunities.