A partnership between the City of Unley and BikeSouth in South Australia has resulted in an increase in pool and bicycle use. This has fostered healthier lifestyles, particularly among the young. Pool Manager, Barry Hutchison, and Jeff Robinson from BikeSouth came up with the idea of a competition titled ‘Pedal to the Pool’.
A prize of a $500 Bicycle was an attractive incentive. The guidelines drawn up for the competition also included a separate ‘Learn Don’t Burn’ promotion to foster skin safety and special promotions to schools. Sponsors were organised to help provide the prize and other costs.
A key feature of the promotion was the provision of extra parking for bikes at the pool to encourage both activities. The promotion not only promoted cycling and swimming as health activities, it also encouraged people to become familiar with the bike tracks that Unley has built to encourage healthy and safe routes to and from their homes and recreational venues.
The competition was based on people accumulating a point each time they parked their bike at the pool. The person with the most points won the bike. Barry Hutchison said the promotion proved to be a great success in encouraging local residents to appreciate the benefits of combining the leisure activities of cycling and swimming.
For further information contact Barry Hutchison, telephone (08) 8372 5111.
