The quiet revolution

Staff at award winning environmental charity, Nurture Lakeland are trying out a new company vehicle and embracing what could prove to be a quiet revolution in how people get around the Lake District.

They’ve got their hands in one of the latest electric bikes, provided by the Electric Cycle Centre based in Penrith.

The company is a new member of Nurture Lakeland and has provided this quiet and economical method of transport for the charity to try out.  

Charlotte Widgery, Grants Development Nurture Lakeland added:

 “As a charity we are always looking for ways to reduce our costs, and as promoters of responsible tourism, we need to lead by example. “

An electric bicycle network already exists in the Windermere area, and the same idea is being expanded in the Penrith area by the Electric Cycle Centre, so both visitors and locals can hire the bikes and charge them at a wide range of venues from cafes to attractions. 

Electric Cycle Centre owner, Richard Radcliff, “An electric bike offers lots of flexibility, as they can be used for leisure, building fitness levels up and commuting e.g. getting to work/school/college and are a very cheap travel alternative.”

It’s a scheme which coincides with a four year project launched by the The Lake District National Park (LDNP) to transform how we all get around.

Nurture Lakeland is currently running a Visitor Travel Survey as part of the project to build up a picture of where people go when they are here and what types of transport they are using. It should provide the LDNP with some valuable data and ensure that they are able to make services work for visitors and local people alike.

With visitor numbers topping 15 million this year and congestion and parking becoming a perennial problem it’s encouraging to see fresh initiatives like the electric bicycle network and organisations like the LDNP and Nurture Lakeland taking positive steps to improve travel for everyone within the National Park. 

The Penrith Electric Cycle Centre offers sales, hire, lease and Cycle Scheme, as well as service and repair. Bikes have a range of between 25 and 65 miles between charges, depending on model and configuration. If you want to find out more about electric bikes, visit www.electriccyclecentrepenrith.co.uk