Active Environments

Essex Pedal Power Basildon

Creating change in a hospital setting

Aiming to make cycling more accessible in the borough, community initiative Essex Pedal Power Basildon, has been working in partnership with local organisations and the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust (MSEFT), to provide residents and low-income staff at Basildon Hospital with a free bike. The plan is to giveaway over 800 bikes in total by March 2025.

The MSEFT Anchor Programme works to improve the health, wealth and wellbeing of local people, tackling inequalities in their local communities. In June 2023, Essex Pedal Power started providing new quality bikes at no cost to lower income staff at the Basildon University Hospital to improve activity levels, commute times and overall wellbeing, as well as reduce money spent on public transport. As of December 2024, the delivery team has allocated 186 bikes to Hospital staff, and most impressively, the demand for bikes has far exceeded the number of bikes available.

Who's it for?

Low-income staff at Basildon Hospital and residents living in eligible areas

Primary Objective:

to improve health, increase active travel and strengthen community cohesion

Secondary Objective:

to reduce NHS carbon emissions and influence change in health sector

There are currently over 1,200 employees at Basildon University Hospital, who are in the lowest NHS pay bands 2-4. These staff are more likely to work shift patterns, meaning they are unable to rely on public transport for travel to and from the hospital due to the unavailability of trains and buses during off peak hours. The cost of travelling to work is a considerable element of their income. Meaningfully, a high percentage of band 2-4 employees live within cycling distance of the hospital, and therefore were identified as a priority group for Essex Pedal Power.

Essex Pedal Power has helped Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust to meet its (Anchor) ambition to be a good employer by supporting its staff working at lower pay bands in Basildon, who feel the impact of the continuing cost of living crisis most keenly, to reduce their outgoings avoiding car journeys and car parking.

Charlotte Williams, Chief Strategy and Improvement Officer at MSEFT

Essex Pedal Power Basildon has had many benefits so far. It has not only helped to increase staff retention, activity levels and life satisfaction, but has also lowered bike recipient’s car journeys. This has in turn resulted in reduced carbon emissions, congestion and improved air quality, and the demand for car parking spaces at the hospital. The NHS is responsible for 5% of the UK’s total transport emissions, so initiatives like Essex Pedal Power are a great example of how we can help reduce this figure, whilst improving the health and wellbeing of hospital staff. It also plays an important role in contributing to the NHS Net Zero Travel and Transport strategy, which commits to halving staff travel emissions by 2033.

1,482.16kg

of C02 saved in total

50%

of car journeys reduced weekly

Essex Pedal Power is also successfully influencing system change within the health sector of Basildon and Brentwood, by prompting the early action of making cycling parking more accessible with new lighting, improved shower facilities, and new lockers to store cycling clothing and equipment. The programme is also delivering high levels of social value, reporting that for each pound spent on Essex Pedal Power, approximately £20 of social value is generated.

56%

of Basildon Hospital recipients are regularly exercising compared to 38% of non-recipients

67%

of Basildon Hospital recipients find it easier to commute to work

23%

of Basildon Hospital recipients said their health is excellent compared to 20% at baseline

My travel time to work has decreased and helped me able to conserve my energy for my 12 hour shifts. Because of this, there is no need for me to wake up very early to prepare for work. Cycling has significantly increased my physical activity levels and I am grateful for the opportunity that was given to me.

Essex Pedal Power Basildon recipient

In April 2024, an Essex Pedal Power Share and Learn event took place at Basildon University Hospital, which saw key partners share insights and learnings around how to plan and deliver a successful free bike scheme. NHS England have taken notice of the early success of Essex Pedal Power at Basildon Hospital and are looking into the feasibility of replicating the scheme across England.