The College hosted a Get Cycling Roadshow last Monday, to promote cycling in all its varieties: for leisure, transport, health, happiness and the environment.
Nelson and Colne College Sixth Form has a long-standing history of promoting sustainability and environmental responsibility. Since 2010, the College has regularly published a Sustainability Newsletter on “Moodle,” the Student Intranet. The College also works consistently towards achieving their Sustainability and Environmental Policy, created by the College Sustainability Group, which was formed in September 2012.
The College was previously a finalist in the Energy Efficiency for Large Companies category in the Lancashire Business Environmental Awards, a finalist in the Carbon Management Awards for SME’s, a runner up in the BiFM Sustainability Awards and the winner of the Public Sector Sustainability Awards in Education.
The College prides itself on promoting personal health and wellbeing. It has run a Health and Wellbeing Day since 2010, an annual event which encourages staff members to think about themselves and take part in health-related activities. The College also offers a variety of sport-related enrichment activities, under the “Get Up Get Active” programme, which range from street dance to gym sessions to ping pong to ski trips.
As part of their on-going push for healthy bodies and minds, Nelson and Colne College Sixth Form recently hosted a Roadshow from Get Cycling. Get Cycling is a Yorkshire business which aims to promote cycling in a variety of different situations: for leisure and happiness, for health and wellbeing, and for transport and the environment.
Cycling is an excellent physical activity. It is good for the health, good for the wallet, and good for the environment. Regular cyclists enjoy a fitness level equal to that of a person ten years younger, and their risk of heart disease is less than half that of a non-cyclist. It is a much cheaper alternative to driving or taking public transport – a good bicycle will last for years, and require only minimal costs in maintenance each year. Bicycles produce no pollution nor sound pollution, and to make a bicycle requires only a fraction of the energy needed to make a car. (Sourced from whycycle UK.)
At the Get Cycling Roadshow, there were plenty of things to see and do. A variety of different bicycles were on display, ranging from conventional bikes to the antique Penny-Farthing and the Mini Circus. A Bike Doctor was on hand to provide full maintenance checks and servicing, and to demonstrate basic bicycle maintenance to the events’ visitors. There was also a chance for visitors to have a ride on the specialised bike blender, to try out a pedal-powered smoothie.
Nelson and Colne College Sixth Form is looking forward to hosting more wellbeing and sustainability events in the future, to increase the health of students, staff and the world we live in!
