The Scottish Workplace Journey Challenge returns next month – will you take the challenge to transform your commute?
Sharon from NHS Ayrshire and Arran tells of her experience of taking part in the Scottish Workplace Journey Challenge and the lasting impact it's had on her.
What is the Challenge?
Each year from 1-31 March, workplaces across Scotland compete to get the most staff travelling in active and sustainable ways. It is free to sign up on the challenge website where individuals can set personal goals and workplaces can set targets for their organisation. Every journey that staff make to, from or for work by a sustainable mode can be logged on the website.
Staff can help their team climb the leaderboard as they leave the car behind and opt to walk, cycle, use public transport or even teleconference. The more staff at a workplace that take part, the higher up the leaderboard their team moves.
What are the benefits?
The challenge offers a fun, free way for businesses to motivate their staff to travel in healthy and sustainable ways. There are lots of prizes available throughout the challenge, rewarding people for logging their sustainable journeys, inviting others to take part and more.
There are many health benefits of an active commute, both physical and mental, which in turn can lead to happier and more productive staff. Fewer cars on the road also benefits the environment through improved air quality and reduced CO2 emissions. With transport being Scotland’s largest greenhouse gas emitting sector, transforming our commutes can play a big part in tackling the climate crisis.
Participants can see the impact that their journeys have made towards their personal goals, such as cost savings, while workplaces can track their staff participation levels and carbon savings.
Participants in the 2019 challenge clocked up an impressive:
85,256 journeys
75,206Kg of CO2 saved
10,486,800 calories burned
£89,582 saved
