Wessex Faculty

This scheme is a new initiative conceived by Wessex Faculty Treasurer and local GP, Dr Jonathan Rial,

in conjunction with Cycle of Good. The idea is for practices across the Severn regions to purchase a

"GP on Call" bike. The bikes are old postal bikes which have been saved from landfill, recycled and

rebuilt by offenders in HM Prisons across the UK. Offenders are given the chance to obtain a certificate of bike maintenance, boosting their skills, confidence and likelihood of gaining employment, which is a key step to preventing repeat offences.

 

As this is a social enterprise, in addition to helping save the environment and boosting employment opportunities, when you buy a bike, you also give a bike. For every bike bought, another is sent to Malawi, where The African Workshop employ eight local people to repair and service the donated bikes from Britain. The bikes are then sold to Malawians who can travel to work, transport goods to market and travel miles to school or college. Bikes in Malawi can be life transforming and often mean an income for life.

 

There are many reasons for having a practice bike to do visits and some are listed here:

• Improve fitness/health

• Be seen to be out and about as a GP - improving profile

• Influence your population - if the GP is seen on a bike, it may help persuade them to do more exercise

• Save fuel costs

• Personalised bike so it is clear that you are a GP doing a visit (hopefully makes the bike less likely to be stolen)

• Wessex & Severn Faculties are giving something back to their members (we will pay half the price of the bike)

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Why use this bike scheme?

• If you are a Severn Faculty member we will pay half of cost of the bike

• It is a Social enterprise so for every bike that is purchased, a bike is sent to Malawi

• These are old Postal Bikes and Offenders are given skills to rebuild them, creating employment and improving prospects 

• The bikes are pretty universal size wise and are built to carry heavy loads (160kg) so are pretty easy to ride with gearing to get up those hills nice and easily!

• Tray at the front to hold your medical bag

• Each bike is personalised in classic RCGP blue with decal as above and its own individual number

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To help launch this scheme, members of the Severn Faculty are able to purchase one of these bikes with a 50% subsidy paid by the Faculty. Please note that no profit is made by the RCGP or Severn Faculty on the sale of these bikes and they are purchased through a charity.

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Severn Faculty currently have one bike remaining.  If you are interesting in this bike please email severn@rcgp.org.uk