Canolfan Iechyd Cymru - Wales Centre for Health
Defnyddiodd Canolfan Iechyd Cymru yng Nghaerdydd ariannu gan Gyngor Chwaraeon Cymru i fuddsoddi mewn 8 cronfa feiciau a chyfarpar cysylltiedig megis helmedi, goleuadau ac offer trwsio pynjars a ‘panniers'. Hefyd ariannodd Cyngor Chwaraeon Cymru well mannau parcio beiciau yn y Ganolfan.
Beiciau 'defnydd personol' a beiciau cronfa
Ar ôl trafodaeth gyda'r staff penderfynwyd dynodi 4 beic fel ‘beiciau defnydd personol' i'w cynnig i staff ar fenthyg am dymor hir ar gyfer defnydd ar y penwythnosau yn gystal â chymudo i'r gwaith.
Defnyddir y gweddill fel beiciau cronfa ar gyfer staff i deithio i gyfarfodydd a theithio rhwng dau safle'r Ganolfan yn ystod oriau gwaith.
Ers i'r cynllun ddechrau yn haf 2007 manteisiwyd yn fawr ar y beiciau cronfa, gyda 10 o'r 40 aelod o'r staff wedi defnyddio un beic o leiaf unwaith. Mae darpariaeth beiciau defnydd personol wedi datblygu synnwyr perchnogaeth ddyfnach ac wedi ychwanegu at gynaliadwyedd y cynllun drwy annog staff i feddwl am fuddsoddi yn eu beic eu hunain.
“Rydw i wedi bod yn defnyddio un o'r beiciau newydd i deithio i'r gwaith am y ddau fis diwethaf ac rydw i hefyd wedi'i ddefnyddio ychydig o weithiau ar y penwythnos i fynd i feicio gyda fy nghariad. Byddwn yn bendant yn argymell rhoi cynnig arni i unrhyw un sy'n byw o fewn ychydig filltiroedd i'r swyddfa.”
Joanne Menzies, Canolfan Iechyd Cymru
Cefnogaeth gan werthwr beiciau lleol
Un o'r ffactorau allweddol yn llwyddiant y cynllun yw'r gefnogaeth gan werthwr beiciau lleol, The Bike Shed. Mae hyn wedi cynnwys arddangosiad cynnal a chadw ar gyfer staff a sesiynau magu hyder ar gyfer aelod o staff oedd yn nerfus ynglŷn â beicio mewn traffig.
Menter arbennig o effeithiol oedd annog holl aelodau'r staff i fynychu sesiwn gyflwyno lle y gallent roi cynnig ar reidio beic a dysgu sut i drwsio pynjar. Erbyn hyn mae bron pob un o'r deugain gweithiwr yn y ganolfan wedi mynychu'r hyfforddiant hwn, sy'n golygu eu bod eisoes wedi croesi'r rhwystr cyntaf i fynd allan ar feic.
Y dyfodol
Mae datblygiad y cynllun yn barhaus ac fel gyda phob menter newydd ceir bob amser le i wella.
“Un o'r camau nesaf fydd edrych ar sut y gallwn ni wella ein ffordd o hyrwyddo'r beiciau cronfa i staff yn y dyfodol, ac i ddynodi unrhyw rwystrau a all fodoli i unigolion sydd ddim eto wedi rhoi cynnig ar deithio byw o fewn eu gwaith.”
Anne-Marie Brackpool
The Wales Centre for Health in Cardiff used Sports Council for Wales (SCW) funding to invest in 8 pool bikes and associated equipment such as helmets, lights, puncture repair kits and panniers. SCW also funded improved bike parking at the Centre.
Personal use bikes
After discussion with staff, it was decided to designate 4 of the bikes as ‘personal use bikes' to be offered to staff on long term loan for use at weekends as well as for commuting to work. The remainder are used as pool bikes for staff to travel to meetings and between the Centre's two sites during work hours.
Since the scheme started in summer 2007 there has been a good uptake on the pool bikes, with 10 of the 40 staff having used one at least once. The staff members using the personal bikes are cycling to work on average three days a week. The provision of personal use bikes has increased a sense of ownership and added to the sustainability of the scheme by encouraging staff to think about investing in their own bike.
"I have been using one of the new bikes to cycle to work for the last two months, and have also used it a couple of times at the weekend to go cycling with my boyfriend. I would definitely recommend trying it to anyone who lives within a few miles of their office."
Joanne Menzies, WCH
Support from local bike supplier
One of the key factors in the success of the scheme is support from local bike supplier the Bike Shed. This has included a maintenance demonstration for staff and a confidence building session for a member of staff who was nervous about riding in traffic.
A particularly effective initiative was to encourage all staff to attend an introductory session in which they could try out a bike and learn to mend a puncture. Almost all of the forty employees at the centre have now attended this training, which means that they have already crossed the first hurdle to taking out a bike.
The future
Development of the scheme is ongoing, and as with every new initiative, there is room for improvement.
"One of the next steps will be looking at how we can improve promotion of the pool-bikes to staff in the future, and to identify any barriers that might exist for individuals who have not yet tried active travel within work."
Anne-Marie Brackpool, WCH