Loved up in Manchester

22 January 2008

I love the smug feeling you get as you cycle past all the cars waiting in traffic jams.

Sarah Whitehead, cycling commuter

Sarah Whitehead is just one of hundreds of commuters tempted on to a saddle by an award-winning ad campaign created by Manchester Friends of the Earth.

With a £30,000 Neighbourhood Renewal grant and co-sponsorship from the city council, the high-profile ad campaign on billboards across the city aimed to get local people to shift from 4 wheels to 2.

The group teamed up with 16 local bike shops to offer reductions on gear.

And the campaign website with its saucy, loved-up theme, heart-shaped saddles and racy red rear lights, offered loads of information on cycling in Manchester.

Our message is simple. Manchester City Council has a clear opportunity to make cycling the obvious choice for more people. Should it seize it, the city and its citizens will reap many benefits.

Graeme Sherriff from Manchester's local group

The campaign was a winner with locals, with people feeling good about choosing the green option.

Cycling to work is about 20 minutes quicker than walking. I'm really enjoying getting some exercise.

Love your bike also won Best Integrated Campaign (under £100,000) award at the prestigious Green Awards in 2006, beating stiff competition from the Mayor of London and Transport for London.

It goes to show what commitment and smart joint effort can do.

This article is based on an extract from Friends of the Earth's book How Can I Stop Climate Change?

Find out more about joining a Friends of the Earth local group.