Broadcasting the Benefits of Cycling

Local cycling organisation BikeRight! got together with BBC Manchester during Bike Week for a guided bike ride from Oxford Road to their new home, MediaCityUK, on Salford Quays.

The ride was the brainchild of the BBC North Internal Communications team and was designed to communicate the benefits of cycling for staff and to demonstrate how easy and safe it is to commute from central Manchester to their new offices.

Around 20 people were led in two groups by four of BikeRight!s instructors. The ride started from Oxford Road at noon via a pre-planned route and culminated at Media City for an energising snack before the return leg.

BBC and BikeRight! staff

Pictured above are the group from the BBC and BikeRight! enjoying a spot of sunshine at MediaCityUK, Salford. 

Andy Tucker, Marketing Manager at BikeRight! commented: “it’s great for us to work with BBC staff who appreciate the benefits of cycling to both their health and the environment. We are hopeful that this initiative will be taken up by other large employers locally – cycling is by far the quickest and healthiest way of commuting and Manchester is an ideal cycling city as there are lots of cycle lanes and paths and very few hills.”

Josie Cahill, Internal Communications Manager at the BBC, said: “care for the environment and our staff’s wellbeing is very important to the BBC. We worked with BikeRight! to plan a safe and fun route, and this ride combined with a cycling road show that BikeRight! ran earlier in the week has really enthused staff about commuter cycling in Manchester and Salford.”  -

From May next year BBC staff from five London based departments and the existing operation in Oxford Rd will begin relocating to Salford Quays and the broadcaster is keen that the existing cycling culture is maintained.

BikeRight! is a Manchester based cycle training organisation and has a strong focus on enabling cycling for individuals of all backgrounds and works with the public and private sector on cycling initiates that demonstrate the combined benefits of active travel.

 

Notes to editors

BikeRight! was established in 2000 and is the leading cycle training organisation in the North West training over 12,000 individuals annually in schools, businesses and health projects. BikeRight! is committed to making cycling viable, safer and better for all. Services include Bikeability training for schools, instructor training, national standards cycle training, mountain biking skills, corporate team building courses, cycling consultancy and event management.

Awarded Business of the Year and Growth Business of the Year – awarded in January 2009 at the North West women in Business Awards.

For further information contact Andy Tucker on 0161 230 7007. andy@bikeright.co.uk