Submitted by Grainne Kennedy on Thu, 2018-04-26 14:54
The Environment and Energy team have been busy this month turning the spotlight on travel. With 14 events at seven University sites, staff learnt about the support available to travel using sustainable modes and how they can reduce the environmental impacts of their commute.
Along for the ride
Over 200 staff attended cycle events this month. Individuals received cycle skills training or had their bike repaired by Dr Bike, while groups could attend a cycle safety seminar or learn how to carry out maintenance on their own bike. The University of Cambridge has one of the highest rates of cycling in the country; we’d like to keep it that way, and events like these are designed to get people cycling. If you are lacking confidence on the bike and would like to improve your cycle skills, you can avail of free cycle training, or if you’d like to host a cycle engagement event at your department please get in touch.
A walk in the park
Spotlight on Travel is not just about cycling; with the unusually warm weather some departments took the opportunity to encourage staff to walk more. Maths, for example, organised a walk to their local RSPB site, connecting with nature and getting some exercise into their working day. On Friday 27th April many departments will take the On Your Feet challenge to be more active during their workday and for many (9% of University of Cambridge staff) a walk to work is an easy way to incorporate some exercise. If you participate in the Challenge be sure to tag us in any pictures on social media, @cambridgesust on Twitter and Instagram using #onyourfeet. The best picture on the day will win a prize!
Driving it home
Motorists were not forgotten during Spotlight on Travel month. Matchmaking was the name of the game with “Carshare Corners” popping up in University buildings with a large number of staff who drive. The idea of this initiative, as seen in Greenwich House (image below) is to place a map of the region in a communal area and staff who are interested in car sharing can place their details on the map to find someone who can share their journey. All of the information on the map is collected by the Green Impact team, who are making the introductions between possible car sharers. Carshare Corner is a local version of the Camshare website, the site which matches commuter journeys from across Cambridgeshire, helping people to save money and reduce carbon emissions. If you are interested in sharing your journey, log on and see who you can match your journey with. It couldn’t be easier!
We have thoroughly enjoyed speaking to staff about travel this month and we would like to say a big thank you to all the staff volunteers who either hosted an event or ran their own travel initiatives.
