Cheesemakers of Garstang get fit and go green

Staff at Dewlay the Cheesemakers of Garstang are foregoing their car journey to work each day, in favour of two wheels instead.

In a bid to go green and get fit, more than 10% of Dewlay staff are now cycling to work, covering a total of 55 miles a day.

Leading the peleton is managing director Nick Kenyon who, as a keen cyclist recently completed the Fred Whitton Challenge in the Lake District. A gruelling 112 miles covering Kirkstone, Honister, Wrynose and Hardknott passes.

With ten members of staff now cycling to work from Bilsborrow, Inglewhite, Inskip and Nateby, the number of cars coming up Dewlay’s drive has dropped significantly.

“Cycling to work has always been something I’ve enjoyed doing myself so when a number of staff expressed an interest in cycling we got behind them 100%,” comments Nick.

“After a busy and hard day at work, cycling home helps to keep you fit and saves on fuel costs as well. We are just considering refrigerated panniers for the bicycle to deliver our cheese to our customers – carbon free cheese!” he adds.

Clocking in 15 miles a day, Martin Scannell, Dewlay’s procurement manager has been cycling for more than three months now.

“A couple of us began to talk about what we could do to get fit and then we heard about the Cycle to Work Scheme. Not only are we getting fit but we are cutting down the number of cars on the road, which is great no matter what the distance to work,” comments Martin.

With Dewlay already reducing its carbon footprint by 2,992 tonnes of CO2 a year thanks to its wind turbine, using grey water where possible, and maintaining green planted areas around the site, Nick Kenyon is keen to push other green initiatives, and staff cycling to work is just the next step.

“With ten members of staff cycling to work instead of driving in the car, we are saving an additional two tonnes of CO2 each year. That is a phenomenal amount and something I’m really proud of. But it is not just about going greener and looking after our environment, it is vital to the wellbeing of our staff that they are physically fit and active,” he adds.

“And who knows, in a couple of years time we may have our own Dewlay cycling team taking part in the Fred Whitton Challenge!”

While staff are going green, Nick also reveals that in the run up to the first anniversary of Dewlay’s 126metre wind turbine being commissioned, Dewlay are set to launch a community fund.

“The Go Green Fund is being set up to give something back to the local community. The wind turbine has certainly been a talking point over the last 12 months with an overwhelmingly positive response. The turbine has also helped to put Garstang on the map and we are keen to see that some of the benefit of the turbine is passed back into the local community.

The fund has been set up to support local green or environmental projects that hopefully the wider community can benefit from,” says Nick.

“The first donation will be made on the first anniversary of the wind turbine, so we will shortly be releasing more information about how local community groups, schools and committees in the local area can apply for funding.”

The Go Green Fund’s core value is to support and develop local community groups and their projects, and will be overseen by Dewlay’s directors Nick and Richard Kenyon.