Working in partnership with Hackney Council, Marlborough Highways has donated four cycle stands to local primary schools in the London Borough of Hackney. The move follows the 2022 annual London Walking and Cycling Conference at Guildhall in the City of London, where Marlborough temporarily installed cycle stands for the event’s delegates. The initiative is helping children to get more active and to travel more sustainably, by encouraging them to ride to school, instead of making their journey by car.
June’s London Walking and Cycling Conference drew over 200 delegates, exhibitors and speakers, many of whom commuted to the event by bicycle. Attendees included Seb Dance, who is the Deputy Mayor of London for Transport, and Philip Glanville, who is the Mayor of Hackney. Marlborough’s Mark Ellerington, Fiona Cummings and Nick Reading were also in attendance, the latter of which heads up the organisation’s newly formed dedicated Social Value team. Rather than repurposing or scrapping the conference cycle stands after the event, Marlborough reached out to the local community to explore who could benefit most from the equipment. After local engagement, the items were then gifted to St John the Baptist Primary School, Sir Thomas Abney Primary School, Millfields Community School and Parkwood Primary School, with each receiving a cycle stand, which can securely accommodate up to ten bicycles.
Marlborough is a dynamic civil engineering company that specialises in highways maintenance, traffic management and infrastructure projects. The organisation is responsible for much of the road network in the London Borough of Hackney and is regularly involved in initiatives that seek to improve the urban environment and to better the lives of residents. The cycle stand donation was made in line with Marlborough’s social value commitment to the north London borough, with the company passionate about playing a meaningful role in the communities in which it serves.
Adi Roser is a Senior Sustainable Transport Planner at Hackney Council and was involved in the initiative. She commented “Following the London Walking and Cycling Conference, Marlborough has generously donated cycle stands to local schools in Hackney. With a large proportion of children in the borough choosing to scoot or cycle to school, the additional parking is helping to support sustainable travel.’
Paul Thomas is the Headteacher at Parkwood Primary School, he said “The stand was really welcomed by our Year 5 and Year 6 pupils. Previously they struggled to find space to park their bikes and as a result some did not want to cycle to school. The rack has made a big difference, with students now able to store their bikes safely and securely.”
Sarah Tai is the Deputy Headteacher at St John the Baptist Primary School, she added “Thank you for the bike stand, which is being used in our playground. Over the last few years, the number of children riding a scooter or bike to school has grown so much, that we were struggling for storage, so the new facility is a big help.”