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good going Newsletter Issue 4
good going Newsletter Issue 4
ISSUE 4 - APRIL 2005
Surbiton wins 'Rail Station of the Year' at London Transport Awards - now that's good going!
In this issue:-
The sun is beginning to stretch its muscles, creating a perfect time for us to get outdoors and stretch ours too! Walking and cycling are two easy and cheap ways you can celebrate the coming of summer. So this issue focuses on a few ways to get you moving!
Win one of 50 pedometers for Walking to Work Week!
Grant of up to £5,000 for cycling
Surbiton wins 'Rail Station of the Year' at London Transport Awards
Surbiton Train Station has scooped the prestigious title of Rail Station of the Year at the London Transport Awards 2005. The London Transport Awards aim to reward London Boroughs and organisations that have made a real difference to the capital.
Councillor Tricia Bamford, Executive Member for Transportation and Sustainable Development, collected the award on behalf of Kingston Council and SouthWest Trains at a special Awards Ceremony and Dinner on Wednesday 30 March.
The scheme was promoted by Transport for London’s Cycling Centre of Excellence and was designed and introduced in partnership with Kingston Council and SouthWest Trains.
Councillor Tricia Bamford, Executive Member for Transportation and Sustainable Development at Kingston Council, said: “This award is fitting recognition of all the hard work that has been undertaken to improve facilities at Surbiton Station for pedestrians and cyclists. All the partners involved were fully committed to encouraging more people to leave their cars at home and travel to the Borough’s busiest railway station on foot or by bike. Whilst the award is wonderful news, the true pleasure is in seeing the new cycle racks at Surbiton Station filled to the brim with bicycles every day.”
South West Trains' Station Development Manager, Malcolm Page, said: "This is an excellent example of a partnership scheme in conjunction with the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and Transport for London. The work at Surbiton is one of a number of projects taking place within the borough and we are delighted that it has been recognised with this award."
The Royal Borough of Kingston and South West Trains were presented with the award in recognition of the exemplary programme of improvements carried out at Surbiton Station during 2004 to enhance accessibility for cyclists and pedestrians, including upgraded covered cycle parking for 175 bicycles.
Apart from helping to keep the environment clean and healthy, there is evidence that a regular physical activity such as walking, which gets your heart working and your muscles moving, can result in improved health. It can lower blood pressure, weight control and increase life expectancy. Walking is also a great way to relax!
The Kingston Walking for Health Initiative arranges regular walks for different levels of fitness across the borough. All walks are led by qualified walk leaders who have been trained by the National Walking for Health Initiative. Guided walks are held across the borough almost every day of the week, including short accessible walks for people who do not walk regularly or who have limited mobility. For more information, call the Walking for Health Co-ordinator on 020 8547 5312 or visit our goodgoing walking page.
Your commute to work is the ideal time to take the opportunity to be more active so if you live close to your workplace, why not walk? Even if it’s too far to walk the whole way, or you're feeling a little out of condition, combine it with another mode of transport such as catching the bus or train.
People who walk to work enjoy arriving at work feeling awake and with plenty of energy to take on the day ahead. The walk home allows you to unwind and leave the worries of the day behind.
Becoming an active commuter who walks your regular journey to work is not only a great way to improve your health, but also helps reduce congestion and pollution in our borough. Using an alternative to the private car, even if it’s just every now and then - that’s good going!
WIN one of 50 pedometers for Walking to Work Week!
“Walking to Work Week” is being held across London from 23 to 27 May. To celebrate, the Council’s Road Safety and Travel Awareness Unit are giving away 50 pedometers, so you can measure how many steps you’re walking (10,000 steps a day is recommended!).
To go into the draw to win one, simply sign the good going pledge anytime during the month of May! Just click on the photo below then click on "Pledges"!
Spring is the perfect time to get your bicycle out of the shed (make sure it’s safe to ride before taking it on the roads!) and cycling is a great way to get around the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames! Not only is it often the quickest way for short journeys such as those to work, the railway station, the shops and school, but it also improves your health and fitness. And it helps reduce pollution and congestion in our borough too!
Although the Royal Borough already has excellent cycle routes with easy to follow direction signs, and regularly introduces more facilities to make it safer, we think the best way to get more people cycling more often is through training.
Research shows that trained cyclists are safer than untrained ones and practical training helps novice riders develop cycling skills which increases their confidence and level of enjoyment.
The Council’s Road Safety and Travel Awareness Unit hold courses for all ages and abilities, including Child Cyclist Training, Adult Cyclist Training and Family Cyclist Training, and have just started 1:1 training also!
More details about Cyclist Training.
Grant of up to £5,000 for cycling
good going is working in partnership with the London Cycling Campaign, Cycle Touring Club, Sustrans and London Cycle Sport to offer community groups who are looking for ways to hold local rides, events or small scale projects between now and March 2006. Grants of up to £5,000 are available to allow groups, non-profit making organisations and some commercial organisations to promote cycling to infrequent or lapsed cyclists in their local area.
For details, contact cycling@streetmanagement.org.uk
Pick up your FREE copy of the new Kingston Cycle Map at cycle shops and libraries across the borough. If you can't pick a copy up, have one sent to you in the post by emailing your details to the Council’s Cycling Officer at rob.parsey@rbk.kingston.gov.uk
Bike Week and Bike2Work Week will be held from 11 to 19 June. More details about events happening in Kingston.
