Staff receive gifted bikes from Recirculate project | News

Members of staff at the Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust have been gifted bikes free of charge, as part of a project which aims to reduce waste and increase sustainability.

The Recirculate project follows a ‘donate, renovate, locate’ model. Donations of unwanted bikes are sourced from the wider community. Bikes are renovated by prisoners in bike workshops – in this case at HMP Humber – giving prisoners valuable work experience. The refurbished bikes are then located with NHS workers who are planning to use the bikes to cycle to work.

Prior to the initiative with Mid Yorkshire, the Recirculate project has already given away over 500 bikes.

Applications for bikes ran into the hundreds, highlighting the desire for cycle transport amongst the Mid Yorkshire workforce. Bikes were allocated using a range of criteria to ensure they were gifted to those most in need, including those on lower salary bands and who would be using the bike for their commute to work.

The bikes were presented to staff during a giveaway presentation day in July outside the Trust Headquarters and Education Centre at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield. Bikes were matched to the requirements of applicants as much as possible, such as size and bike type, to ensure they will receive the maximum usage from their new owners.

A total of 17 renovated bikes were gifted to members of staff at Mid Yorkshire via Recirculate.

Nicola Meadley, Project Manager for Recirculate, said:

“This latest edition of the project brings the number of hospitals to 11, the number of giveaway events to 31 and the number of bikes given away to 576. We are constantly thrilled by the demand for these bikes and the appetite for cycling. We’re looking forward to coming back with more bikes.”

Jenny Foskett, Sustainability Manager at Mid Yorkshire, added:

“At Mid Yorkshire we recognise the importance of active travel for our staff and this initiative is perfect to support more cyclists. It also benefits the planet by repurposing bikes currently not being used and means there’s a reduction in emissions, so it’s a win all-round! It’s amazing to have such support from staff and the community donating the bikes and I’d also like to thank our partners Equans and InfraRed who have made this possible.”