August 13th 2014

Bike Back Derby, the city’s recycled bike scheme, has provided a fleet of refurbished bikes to Derby Commercial Park, owned and managed by global integrated property group Goodman. Employees at Kuehne and Nagel Drinksflow Logistics, based at the park, will have free use of the bikes as part an initiative to encourage more people to cycle to work.

Bike Back Derby, part of local charity Life Cycle UK, takes in donations of unwanted bicycles from the public and refurbishes them to a state of new. Work on the bikes is undertaken by inmates at HMP Stocken, a category C prison near Nottingham, allowing prisoners to work towards a level 2 City and Guilds qualification in cycle mechanics, currently the highest level awarded.

The scheme has been arranged through Connected, the local sustainable travel initiative set up in November 2012, following the successful bid to DfT’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund.

Goodman has partnered with Bike Back Derby to help rescue old bikes from landfill, teach prisoners employability skills and help provide a supply of refurbished bikes for the community. Through the use of free bikes, employees at Kuehne and Nagel Drinksflow Logistics are able to test out cycling to and from work before committing to a bike purchase.

The scheme fits in with Goodman’s corporate social responsibility scheme, which aims to balance environmental issues, social and economic benefits and improve the wellbeing of its customers and employees. The initiative contributes to Derby City Council’s aim to reduce congestion and increase active travel.

Nigel Dolan, Development Director at Goodmans said “Goodman UK Logistics is a Planet First accredited company and as such we are committed to improving our environmental performance. We are pleased to provide these bicycles for Kuehne + Nagel Drinkflow Logistics’ employees to use and to encourage a greater modal shift from car use.

“The National Cycle Network Route passes directly through our development and so offers an ideal opportunity for cycling to work or simply cycling for pleasure during break times. The fact that these bicycles are refurbished by inmates at HMP Stocken, who will gain a City and Guilds qualification in cycle mechanics and increased employment opportunities, also contributes to our corporate social responsibility agenda.”

Councillor Rawson, Deputy Leader of Derby City Council and Cabinet Member for Planning, Environment & Regeneration said: “The Connected and Bike Back Derby scheme is an exciting project to do even more to encourage cycling in the city. We will be working with companies in Derby to give employees the opportunity to try out cycling with minimal fuss.  I believe this will have massive advantages for our city in terms of promoting healthy lifestyles, reducing carbon emissions and tackling congestion.”