Manchester Children's Hospital to the Hague for ESPS 2023 conference
18.09.23
Join us for (some of) a bike ride from Manchester UK to The Hague NL in collaboration with Ride For Their Lives. We are a group of paediatric healthcare providers riding to the ESPE 2023 conference in The Hague instead of getting on a plane.
Why??
- Because the climate crisis is the biggest threat to paediatric public health
- Because the RCPCH and Greater Manchester Combined Authority have declared a climate emergency
- Because children in the UK and worldwide are dying as a direct result of air pollution
- Because flying releases >15 times more CO2 than cycling and taking the ferry
- Because inactivity contributes to a quarter of UK children being obese; we want to promote active travel
We are planning a collective action to raise awareness of air pollution, climate change and the rising childhood obesity crisis while directly reducing the climate impact of this conference.
I can’t cycle that far and I’m not even going to ESPE!
We would be thrilled if as many people joined us as possible - you don’t have to be an endocrinologist or a medic, just on board with our vision! Trains are your friend: there are almost endless ways in which you can use trains to join for as much or as little as you like.
Current planned rides include:
- As much as you like (1km out and 1km back?) from RMCH on Monday 18th September leaving at 0830
- A long (and fairly hilly) 90km route from RMCH to Doncaster on Monday 18th September leaving at 0830 (purple route)
- Another long (but flat) 90km from Doncaster to Hull on Tuesday 19th September (red route)
- A short/medium (and completely flat!) route from Rotterdam to ESPE in The Hague on Wednesday 20th September (green route). Calling Europeans for this leg!!
We encourage anyone interested to get in touch with chris.worth@mft.nhs.uk or alice.willson2@nhs.net for more information.
Electric bikes encouraged. No lycra required!