In September 2022, the University took part in a global cycling competition finishing in the top 5 in the UK and first in Greater Manchester.

Staff and students cycled almost 19,000 miles across over 2,000 rides, with over 2 tons of CO2 avoided by cycling instead of driving.

For Cycle September, thousands of individuals and workplaces compete at local, national and global levels to earn the most points by cycling and encourage others to join. The Love to Ride platform allows for rides to be logged, tracking progress and also allows users to set goals all year round. In addition to Love to Ride, students and staff at the University can track their cycle rides and other sustainable travel journeys on our 50,000 Actions platform.

Julia Durkan, Sustainable Campus Officer said: “We are incredibly proud of all our staff and students that took part in the Cycle September challenge and clocking up nearly 19,000 miles! More people cycling means fewer cars on the road, lower carbon emissions, better air quality and improvements in physical and mental health. We are particularly impressed with the 9 ‘new riders’ (people who haven’t ridden a bike or have only ridden a few times in the last 12 months prior to taking part), who got involved this year and will continue to get more people enjoying bike rides year-round.”