Re-cycle-ing has got a whole new meaning in Tooting as St George’s gives upcycled bikes to lower paid staff to support them during the cost-of-living crisis.
Bikes donated by members of the public are re-stored by Wandsworth Council’s Dr Bike service, before Band 2 and 3 staff at St George’s – such as healthcare assistants, occupational therapy support workers, nursery assistants and more – can apply to receive one of the donated and upcycled bikes for free to help reduce their commuting costs.
So far, eight members of staff have been selected – out of 350 who have applied – to receive one of the bikes and so the hospital is calling for more people to come forward to donate their unused bikes to support more frontline staff.
Omar Ali, Clinical Assistant in Paternal Care at St George’s, was one of the first to receive a bike. He helps patients check-in for their appointments and supports with any other requirements they have. He said:
“I can now get into work in 15 minutes on my bike and if it wasn’t for this scheme, I wouldn’t have bought one myself, so I’m really grateful”
Joanna Witynska is a Monitoring Officer at St George’s where she visits departments to check they are up to the cleanliness and health and safety standards required. She said:
“I’m making so many savings since I’ve had my donated bike, I now don’t need to spend money on buses to get around. I go out on my bike a lot at the weekend and find it good for de-stressing.
“Being vegan, I am also very environmentally conscious, so I’m pleased to be able to get around without a carbon footprint.”
The scheme has additional benefits as it also contributes towards the Trust’s green plan and sustainability efforts in line with the NHS target of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2040, as well as promoting a healthy active lifestyle.
Kate Slemeck, Managing Director at St George’s University Hospital, said: “I’m so impressed and thankful at the way that St George’s and Wandsworth Council have come together with the local community to provide a cheaper and more sustainable means of transport for our staff, struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.
“We know a lot of people are feeling the pinch right now, and we’re keen to do what we can to support our staff. People working at St George’s have access to an onsite nursery, discounts at local restaurants, practical advice and emotional support.
“I hope we can encourage more bike donations to support more staff this winter.”
Since launching the scheme, St George’s has received more interest in both donating and applying for bikes.
Dave Woodruff, Project Manager and Bicycle User Group Co-chair at St George’s, said:
“A big thank you to everyone who supported this scheme, including the people who donated their bikes, people who gave up their Saturday mornings to repair the bikes, the St George’s Hospital Charity team for funding the spare parts, and last but not least the Wandsworth Dr Bike team, without whom none of this would be possible.”
Richard Huie – known as ‘Dr Bike’ to many – is Wandsworth Council’s Lead Cycle Instructor who along with the support of Wandsworth Council and fellow cycle instructors, he brought the scheme at St George’s to life with the Trust’s Bicycle User Group. Hesaid:
“Cycling is such an affordable and sustainable way of getting around, so this has been a great opportunity for Wandsworth Council to support. We’re still here every month fixing up bikes, so if you have one worthy of donating, please contact St George’s!”
Dr Bike also offers an incentive for all staff at St George’s to cycle into work as each month they visit the Trust to provide a bike ‘MOT’, free of charge to St George’s staff.
