Innovative ways that Bristol businesses use to encourage staff to travel more sustainably have been celebrated at the annual Travelwest Sustainable Business Travel Awards.
The awards showcase organisations that go the extra mile to help tackle the city’s transport problems. 
Bristol health insurer Simplyhealth won the Best Newcomer category for completely changing its travel culture, adopting a sustainable travel plan and giving staff individual travel consultations to help them find sustainable commuting options.
Pictured: Julie Jordan, left, and Julie Hughes of Simplyhealth receive the Best Newcomer Award
Renewable energy consultancy GL Garrad Hassan collected the Best Promotional Incentive Award for encouraging staff car sharing to ease parking problems by entering them into a prize draw to win a car valet.
Pictured: 
Carla Denyer from GL Garrad Hassan with the Best Promotional Incentive Award
Nominated employers included engineering support services company Babcock, architects Stride Treglown, the Bristol Vocational Service, University of West of England, University of Bristol, estate agents Hamptons in Clifton, North Bristol NHS Trust, Trunki ride-on child’s suitcase firm Magmatic, Avon Fire Rescue service and South Bristol Community Hospital.
Ideas ranged from policemen on bikes to fire brigade staff in electric cars, along with car sharing, walking and better scheduling of deliveries.
Bristol assistant mayor for transport Councillor Mark Bradshaw said: “It’s great to see so many Bristol organisations embedding sustainable travel into the way they do business and I’d like to congratulate the award winners and nominees for their diverse and imaginative ideas to ease travel problems.
“I hope more Bristol companies will take their lead and make sustainable travel a priority. A few simple changes to make it easier for staff to car share, cycle or walk can make a dramatic difference not only on the health and wellbeing of staff but to help keep Bristol moving. This, in turn, creates the conditions for business growth and new jobs for local people.”
Simplyhealth director James Glover added: “We’re very pleased to have won this award as we are committed to ensuring we have a sustainable travel plan that will benefit our employees and the local area.”
Match funded grants up to £15,000 are available to businesses to encourage sustainable commuting at their workplace.
The money can be used for promotional events or measures such as installing new or improved cycle parking and storage facilities, cycling route signage, pool bikes, improving pedestrian access to and within the site or providing car share bays in staff car parks. For more information visit www.travelwest.info/grants
