Leicester City Businesses

The Active Travel Team supports city businesses, who recognise the health, environmental and financial benefits of encouraging their staff to make commute and in-work journeys by active and sustainable transport, by offering a number of free initiatives.

Our process

After a short telephone or video consultation to help us identify your business’ needs, we will create a quick travel survey for your employees to determine the barriers that they face to walking or cycling to work. From this survey we will be also be able to plot employee postcodes to show how many employees could potentially commute by foot or bike. If necessary, an audit of your premises can be conducted by our team to identify improvements in infrastructure and facilities, which could be made to your site to make it easier for your staff to walk or cycle to work.

Sustainable Travel Grants 

Your business can apply for a grant of up to £5000 per year to encourage staff to travel actively to work by walking and cycling, or to make your business travel more sustainable, for example building a fleet of pool bikes for staff to use. The grant is match funded and designed to help your business overcome barriers to active travel, for instance by funding cycle parking, lockers or showers.

Download the Sustainable Travel Grant application form.

One example showing the benefit of a Sustainable Travel Grant: 

“The sustainable travel grant is a great scheme which helps businesses get the facilities they need to encourage active travel that might be slightly out of reach financially. Also, it helps with showing that we invest in our teams and their well-being and this helps our staff have pride at work. Since installing the shower and bike rack, we have found our sickness levels reduced too“ Deputy Centre Manager, Beaumont Leys Shopping Centre 

Wheels to Work

Leicester City Council operate the Wheels to Work scheme, which is a low-cost loan of electric bikes to those who are struggling to get to work due to transport barriers.

The vehicle loan is typically over a period of 6 months, giving the participant enough time to make their own transport arrangements to their place of work. There is also a long-term ‘Loan to Own’ option which allows the participant to continue the hire of the e-bike over a 2-year period until they own the bike. To find out more about participation criteria, costs and to apply, please visit www.choosehowyoumove.co.uk/cycling/wheels-to-work/ Your business could recommend this scheme to employees who drive to work or to those employees who want to try cycling to work.

Within the Wheels to Work scheme, the City Council also operates a 4-week loan to businesses of 6 e-bikes for their staff to try out at a small cost of £270 to the business. To enquire please email wheels2work@leicester.gov.uk

Planning journeys to work

We understand that staff may be walking or cycling to work for the first time. To help staff plan their route to work, we recommend they use the journey planner on the Choose How You Move website, cycle.travel or Google Maps to find the best available option. If staff are still unable to find a suitable route, then they can contact the team and we will be happy to help them to plan their walking or cycling commute.

Communications Package

In order to better respond to the new work-from-home paradigm created as a result of the pandemic, we recognise that an organisation’s communications with it’s staff have become increasingly more important. In response to this, we have a created the Active Travel Toolkit, a collection of resources, ready and waiting for leaders, HR professionals, or active travel advocates to share with colleagues and staff through their own communication channels, without commuting resources and staff time to gather the content.

The toolkit includes:

• Articles about travelling and commuting actively
• Inspiration for staff to incorporate active travel behaviours into their day
• Case studies
• Top tips for walking and cycling

To receive the active travel toolkit, which is updated on a regular basis, please email choosehowyoumove@leicester.gov.uk

We can also deliver workshops and presentations to staff comprised of several different subject units. Please get in touch to find out more information.

BetterPoints

Staff can earn and win points for walking and cycling to work and when making other journeys using the free BetterPoints app. These points can be spent locally (in the form of retail vouchers and discounts) or donated to local or national charities. BetterPoints is a fun and engaging way to support your employees with their physical health and mental wellbeing.

BetterPoints user Nusrat decided to take part in the Choose How You Move BetterPoints challenge: ‘I felt that I needed to make some lifestyle changes and the BetterPoints app was the best motivation as it felt good to be rewarded for making healthy choices.’

To download the free app, visit choosehowyoumove.co.uk/betterpoints/

 

Active Travel Roadshow 

The Active Travel Team are available to host a free Active Travel Roadshow at your workplace, both in-person and online. Travel information is tailored to your business needs enabling your staff to access personalised travel advice, walking and cycling top tips, distribution of the latest Leicester travel information and much more. 

Other

The Green Commute Initiative Cycle to Work Scheme 

A new salary sacrifice scheme perfect for electric bikes. It offers up to 42% savings on bikes for staff as part of the Government’s Green Transport plan and there are no end-of-contract financial penalties for the buyer. For more information visit greencommuteinitiaitve.uk.

Travel Plans 

Leicester City Council provide free help and guidance on the various elements of voluntary travel plans, which are site specific and practical to each organisation. For more information, visit leicester.gov.uk/transport-and-streets/travel-plans-in-leicester.

Bicycle User Group 

Assistance is available to help your business set up a Bicycle User Group (BUG). BUGs support staff who cycle for and/or to and from work.

 

Contact us

Hannah May  Transport Development Officer (Programmes) Email: hannah.may@leicester.gov.uk Tel: 0116 4542817