We all know we need to cut down on our carbon emissions. The overwhelming scientific consensus is that the planet is warming up due to human activity. This is due to the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere from activities such as making energy, manufacturing and transport. That’s why encouraging sustainable travel for both our members and our colleagues to and from our centres is so important.
As part of Everyone Active’s Net Zero Strategy, we are working hard to reduce the amount of carbon emissions generated by the operation of our centres. In order to fulfil this promise, it’s important we explore every avenue we can. That includes encouraging our members to travel to our sites in greener ways. By implementing these more sustainable travel options and working together, both Everyone Active and you, our members, can help make a real difference.
Variety of Sustainable Travel Methods
But that doesn’t just mean walking or cycling when you travel to your local centre. There are loads of ways you can help make a difference. These include getting the bus or other public transport where possible when travelling to our centres. Or, by journeying in by bike, walking if you can and even sharing a car with a friend, neighbour or family member. Making use of just some of these measures – even just occasionally – will help reduce your carbon footprint.
What are we doing to encourage sustainable travel?
We’ve implemented a number of initiatives to help make getting to our centres via more sustainable travel methods even easier.
Bike racks at centres
Many centres now have bike racks to give both members and colleagues somewhere to store their bicycles at their centre. This encourages everyone to cycle to their centre if they can. If your journey is five miles or more, you could save £500 or more per year by cycling, rather than driving! An additional benefit is that the gentle cycle to the centre will act as part of your warm-up for your work out for when you arrive at your centre!
Electric Vehicle Charging Points
Sustainable travel isn’t just about getting on your bike or walking or hopping on the bus. No, you can travel more sustainably in the comfort of your own car – an electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. To encourage more of our members and colleagues to travel to our centres in electrified vehicles, therefore, we are in the process of installing charging points at our sites. We currently have 40 sites with charging points available and this number set to increase.
How to find us
All our centre pages come with the ‘how to find us’ feature, which makes it easy to find the easiest and most sustainable travel method to get to each centre. That could be by car, by bus, by train, walking or by bike!
Sustainable Travel: How can you help?
To help make this work, we need you to think about how you travel to your centre a little differently. If you’re cycling, don’t forget to plan in a little extra journey time, if you’re coming in by public transport, don’t forget that there may be a little walk at each end of the journey. Neither of these are bad things, however! Think of them as your warm-up for your real workout when you arrive!
Cycling
If you’re looking for sustainable travel solutions, you shouldn’t look much further than the humble bicycle. Most centres have bike racks – but’s worthwhile checking with the team at your local centre. Another thing to remember is to take a bike lock with you so you can secure your bike properly! If it’s practical, and you live within a reasonable distance of your local Everyone Active centre, then why not cycle rather than drive? You don’t have to do it all the time – especially if you’re taking the kids to their swimming lessons – but just occasionally, it makes all the difference. It’s also a great way to warm-up your muscles and get your heart rate up a little bit before starting your workout with us.
Walking
Obviously, walking is a fantastically sustainable way to travel. It may take a little longer, but if you’re able and you’ve got the time, it’s a nice day then why not enjoy the weather and a gentle warm-up before getting to your centre for your gym session, group exercise class, swim session or activity? That way, you’ve got the blood flowing, your muscles are warm, joints are loose, and your heart rate is up a little just as you arrive to get active!
Public Transport
Using public transport as a way to travel to our centres is a fantastic way to make your journeys more sustainable. While we’re aware that using public transport – whether that’s by bus, train, underground or tram – is not always possible for everyone, we do work hard with our Local Authority partners to make sure that our centres are accessible by public transport.
Most of our centres are near the middle of the town or city in which they are located, meaning they generally have fairly good public transport links. Don’t forget to take into account, however, that your journey may take a little longer and there may be a little walk at each end to get to and from the bus stop, train station or however you’re making your way to the centre.
Car share
If you know you live near someone who attends the same centre at roughly the same time, or goes to the same class as you, why not offer to car share? You get all the comfort of a car journey, but with half the emissions and fuel usage. Maybe take it in turns every time you’re going to the centre?
Combine your visit with other tasks
Of course, journeying in by car can still be a sustainable travel method too. This is all about making small changes, all of which add up to make a big difference. If, for instance, you’re bringing your children for their swimming lessons, you can enjoy a quick workout in the gym or a group exercise class while they’re swimming. This means you’re not making two separate journeys to the centre where they’re not needed.