For Cycle to Work Day, we're celebrating the benefits of active travel and highlighting how we support our own team to build more movement into everyday life.

At Active Lincolnshire, helping people experience the benefits of being active is at the heart of everything we do, and that includes supporting our own staff. As part of our employee benefits package, colleagues can access the Cycle to Work Scheme, making it easier and more affordable to purchase a bike and include cycling in their daily routine.

Recently, one of our team members, Tracey, took advantage of the scheme allowing her to purchase a brand-new bike and make active travel a bigger part of her everyday life. As our Active Community Connector for East Lindsey, Tracey is based too far from our office in Lincoln to cycle the full route, so when time and weather allows, she now parks part-way and cycles the remainder of the journey. She also uses cycling as a way to get to meetings in East Lindsey.

Tracey explains that the scheme helped her turn an idea she had been considering for some time into a practical and affordable option:

“I had been thinking about cycling to work in my role at Active Lincolnshire, partly to reduce travel costs but also to help fit physical activity into my day and get some fresh air too. The application for the Cycle to Work Scheme was super easy, and you can create a login and see the process every step of the way. I have been able to purchase the bike of my choice from my local bike shop, who were really helpful. The scheme has enabled me to have a brand-new gravel bike and, with the payments coming straight from my pay, the cost is manageable.”  

For Tracey, cycling part of the journey has made active travel achievable and enjoyable:

“Although it means an earlier start, I love taking advantage of cycling along the traffic-free Water Rail into Lincoln. Living over in East Lindsey, I do drive part of the way to keep the distance achievable and avoid arriving at work too exhausted. My role takes me all over East Lindsey, so I have also used the bike to explore a bit and get to know some of the areas better.”

Tracey's commuting by bike tips

If you’re thinking about commuting to work by bike for the first time, Tracey’s advice is to plan ahead and make the journey as easy as possible:

“Cycling to and at work does take some organising, and I do need to allow more time, but the benefits are worth the effort.” Her top tips include:

1. Get everything ready the night before - check the forecast too!
2. Leave a good quality lock at work so that you don't have the added weight of a lock when cycling in, same with a bag of toiletries if you have somewhere to leave it. 
3. My laptop is quite heavy so I have reduced the other items in my rucksack to make it manageable and I've added some bags to my bike to make carrying a change of clothes easier. 
4. Other kit such as helmet, lights and hi-viz clothes are a must, and I always carry a drink. 

Supporting Staff Wellbeing Through Movement

Building activity into everyday habits can have a positive impact on both physical and mental wellbeing. Choosing to cycle, whether for commuting, leisure or everyday journeys, can help people move more, reduce stress, improve fitness and support overall wellbeing.

Providing benefits such as the Cycle to Work Scheme is one of the ways we encourage our team to enjoy the benefits of movement, both in and outside of work.

Our Commitment to Active Travel

Encouraging active travel is also an important part of our wider organisational commitments. Through our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Policy, we recognise the role sustainable travel choices can play in reducing environmental impact while supporting healthier habits for individuals and communities.

By supporting staff to choose options such as cycling, we are helping to create a healthier workplace while contributing to our sustainability commitments and reducing our carbon footprint.

Cycle to Work Day is a timely reminder that small changes to our daily routines can make a big difference for our health, wellbeing and the environment.

We’re proud to support initiatives that help our team move more, feel better and make active travel a more accessible option.

Find out more about the Cycle to Work Scheme

Many businesses and organisation support the purchase of a bike for commuting through the Cycle to Work scheme, it can also be used for bike accessories, such as helmet, light and lock -just ask your employer if they are part of the scheme.

If you’re an employer looking to support staff wellbeing, encourage active travel and make sustainable commuting more accessible, the Cycle to Work scheme is a great place to start. Explore how it could benefit your workplace and help more people build movement into their everyday journeys. Find out more about the Cycle to Work scheme here