Essex Pedal Power is a community-based cycling project in Basildon that provides free high-quality bikes to residents, along with a helmet, lock, pump, and lights. Every eligible applicant has free access to training through learn to ride, cycle confidence, and bike maintenance sessions and the opportunity to take part in social bike rides. Essex Pedal Power has already distributed hundreds of bikes to eligible residents in Basildon borough and the project is currently scheduled to run until March 2025.

The EPP Basildon team work closely with local partners to support people experiencing significant barriers to cycling, by providing them with a bike and other services. GPs and Social Prescribers can refer eligible patients to the scheme who would benefit from this free and accessible form of transport and exercise.

Eligibility criteria and application process

To be eligible, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Applicants must be a permanent resident of Basildon (town), Laindon, Vange or Pitsea.
• Applicant does NOT currently have access to a working bike.
• Applicant is aged 16 or over.
• Applicant commits to riding the bike regularly.

Priority will be given if the applicant falls into one of the following groups:

• A resident in our priority area of Felmores and Fryerns
• Referred by a local partner/ organisation
• Referred by a GP or Social Prescriber
• Employed by one of our workplace partners

The EPP Basildon team are taking referrals from Practices within the Central Basildon PCN, West Basildon PCN and East Basildon PCN. To make a referral, the GP or Social Prescriber should direct the patient to fill out their own bike application form, which is linked on our webpage: https://www.activeessex.org/essex-pedal-power/essex-pedal-power-basildon/

On the application form, it is important that patient answers Yes to the question Were you referred by your GP or Social Prescriber?, and provides both the name of the GP/Social Prescriber and Practice that referred. The EPP Basildon team will contact the Practice via email to verify the referral.

Any questions about the referral process or scheme in general can be directed to the EPP Basildon project co-ordinator, Lydia Smith (Lydia.Smith@theaws.org).

Launching a New Era of Active Living: Highlights from Our First Basildon and Brentwood Active Practice Leads and Active Champions Network Meeting

On July 10, 2024, a new chapter in community health and well-being began as healthcare professionals, council representatives, and community leaders gathered for the inaugural meeting of the Active Practice Leads and Active Champions Network. This exciting initiative aims to inspire and support patients and staff to embrace more active lifestyles, significantly impacting our collective health. We had over 20 attendees joining together from various organizations in our commitment to improving the well-being and physical activity of patients and staff.

A Shared Vision for a Healthier Community

Maria Medina kicked off the meeting by outlining the network's ambitious vision: to foster environments where physical activity is seamlessly integrated into everyday healthcare practices. By doing so, we aim to enhance the well-being of our communities and support new active practices joining our mission.

Championing Local and National Initiatives

William Bird, a key advocate for physical activity in healthcare, shared insights into both local and national efforts. He highlighted the impactful work of the Active Essex program and the Active Practice Charter, which encourages GP practices to make physical activity a priority. Additionally, Bird discussed the continuation of the Physical Activity Clinical Champions program, which has been instrumental in promoting exercise among patients.

Empowering Healthcare Professionals

A crucial part of the meeting was the emphasis on training for GPs, nurses, and practice managers. By equipping healthcare professionals with the knowledge and tools to promote physical activity, we ensure that the benefits of an active lifestyle reach every patient. This ongoing education is vital to our mission’s success. There is a wealth of resources in the virtual view pages that are aimed at staff getting knowledge support and signposting but also for them to join physical activities sessions that have been developed for staff to also take care of their wellbeing.

Strengthening Community Collaboration

The meeting underscored the importance of collaboration. By working together, healthcare providers, local councils, and community organizations can create a supportive infrastructure that makes it easier for everyone to stay active. This unified approach is essential for the initiative’s long-term success. One of our local social prescribers from ATF talked about the Armchair exercises initiative that is aimed to help those who are housebound or have mobility issues by encouraging movement in the comfort of their armchairs, this type of incitive support by various organizations as good example of best practice sharing that can make a real difference to our patients.

Addressing Challenges and Planning Ahead

The discussion also touched on the challenges we face, such as maintaining momentum and ensuring sustained commitment from all practices. By identifying these issues early, we can develop strategies to overcome them. The meeting concluded with clear next steps: continuing training, enhancing community engagement, developing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, and planning regular follow-up meetings to keep the initiative on track.

Looking Forward

The energy and optimism at the meeting were palpable. With a shared commitment to fostering a culture of physical activity, the Active Practice Leads and Active Champions Network is poised to make a significant impact on public health. We look forward to seeing the positive changes that will come from this collaborative effort.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to build a healthier, more active community together.

For more information, attend meetings and sing up, please contact linzi.young1@nhs.net

Some of the resources mentioned in the meeting below.

Homepage - Moving Medicine

I am a healthcare professional - Active Essex

Physical Activity and Health – elearning for healthcare (e-lfh.org.uk)

Welcome to the launch of the Brentwood and Basildon Active Alliance!

This is an opportunity to colleges across different organization to join wellbeing activity session to increase our physical Activity and wellbeing, get together in an informal setting and getting to know each other better and find out more about what is happening with various colleagues and organizations if you wish to or getting to know each other a little better, in a casual and fun way!

We have programmed some activities in partnership with Everyone Active to get started, and we are developing further opportunity with various partners to grown the offer as to cater to a variety of tastes and needs.

Tell us what you want to do!

We have also developed a survey for both NHS staff and Alliance partner to better understand how to support the developed of these wellbeing days but also to help and support new areas of physical activity for organizations and individuals. please fill the survey below

NHS staff Active Alliance survey

Active Alliance Partner Survey

Calendar of Activities.

25 April 2024

23 May 2024

27 June 2024

25 July 2024

We have activities booked all the way to November for the full list see and subscribe on the page. Brentwood and Basildon Active Alliance

Our first activity at the end of the month to join us or to find out more please subscribe to the page for invitations, information and newsletters here Basildon and Brentwood Active Alliance , or for more information email

There is lots of resources on the page to access information, activities, funding and support for Alliance members looking forward to seeing you at the sessions!

maria.medina5@nsh.net

Big Bike Revival is an intervention for adults, delivered across England. It is designed and informed by a robust theoretical behaviour change framework, the COM-B model.

Established in 2014, the programme delivers an extensive events programme in England at a local level by community-embedded partners who are typically volunteer-led groups, social enterprises, not-for-profit organisations, independent bike shops and Cycling UK's Community Cycle Club network.

What's the aim and who's it for

The aim is to encourage the target audience of adults to learn how to cycle as beginners and motivate those cycling less often to cycle more frequently. Events focus on encouraging adults to cycle for short, everyday journeys, that present cycling as a practical, normal and habitual way to get around locally. Children are welcome to join events if accompanied by a participating adult, ideally one child per adult. Adults might for example be keen to learn how to cycle the school run or encourage their family to cycle as an economic and healthy way to travel for local journeys.

Grant funding up to £3,500 per application is available to support the delivery of events. Applications are now open, from 04 March until 25 June 2024 and the delivery period is from 29 March until 31 October 2024.

Events are designed on the evidenced based FIX-LEARN-RIDE model and our event guides are an excellent place to begin planning your delivery.

We are always keen to hear from grant applicants to help us shape the delivery according to the local need, using expert knowledge, best practice and creativity. Describe your ideas in the application and explain how they would add value to the FIX-LEARN-RIDE model.

If you’re one of the many people who are looking to improve your health and wellbeing by getting more active one of the best and most accessible ways of doing this is by walking. Walking has been shown to have lots of health benefits and for many people will be the easiest way to work towards the recommended 30 minutes of activity five days a week.

Walking together with other people can be an excellent way to improve both physical and mental health. With that in mind partners in the Basildon and Brentwood alliance have joined up with Basildon Sporting Village to provide a weekly walking opportunity for local people who would like to get more active in the company of other like-minded people.

The walks are a great example of the NHS, local councils, leisure centres and other local service providers working together for the benefit of their local communities.

The sessions are for everyone but the organisers hope that, in particular, health and care staff take the time to join in to support their own health and wellbeing as well as encouraging others in the communities they work in to take steps towards becoming more active.

Basildon Sporting Village has provided their athletics track free of charge each week for the walking session, and want to encourage everyone who comes along for the walks to explore some of the other great activities that take place there.

You can find further information about these walks at see our Calendar or Activities on Brentwood and Basildon Active Alliance .

Do you want in your surgery and some free packs to give out patients? Contact maria.medina5@nhs.net to access them

Many of us are young at heart, aren’t we? To help us stay active and able, we need to care for ourselves in a different way as our body changes.

As our bodies change, different exercises can help to keep us strong and steady later on. The Find Your Active ‘Able like Mabel’ resources, are a series of movements to do whilst at home and to introduce during your normal daily routine. Regardless of your age, these simple movements will support you in completing every day jobs, and help keep you steady, strong and able – all with the aim to ensure you can enjoy your life now, and in your years to come.

Be able like Mabel whilst making a cuppa, or perhaps strong like Ron whilst doing the dishes! Find the support you need to ensure you can stay healthier, strong and active for longer.