Caritasverband Rheine honored as “bicycle-friendly employer
Rheine. cpr. Pleased visit in the Caritas house at the Lingener Straße. Andreas Bittner, representative of the initiative “Bicycle Friendly Employer” and Norbert Poll from the General German Bicycle Club (ADFC) Rheine visited the Caritas House last Thursday to present the Caritas Association Rheine with the certificate “Bicycle Friendly Employer”. “If more people cycle to work, this contributes to exercise and thus to health promotion,” explains Alexander Breulmann, who is responsible for sustainability and climate protection at Caritas Rheine. “Evidence shows that cyclists have fewer sick days and also a lower risk of infection. The cost of fuel for the combustion engine is then also eliminated, of course. Bicycle-friendly measures are part of the operational environmental management of Caritas Rheine and of course contribute to climate protection,” Breulmann continues.
As a provider of social facilities, Caritas also thinks along with corresponding concepts. For example, in a facility for people with mental illness, a concept was developed for joint everyday shopping by cargo bike instead of by car.
In bicycle-friendly Rheine, the Caritas association is now the first in all of Germany to be successfully audited as a “bicycle-friendly employer.” “Given Caritas’ nationwide presence and strong roots in volunteerism and local communities, Caritas Rheine is an excellent multiplier for active, sustainable mobility,” says Bittner, pleased with the charity’s commitment.
“We are very pleased about this award and are also a little proud to have achieved it virtually “off the cuff”. It shows us that we’ve been on the right track for a bit longer in promoting sustainable mobility,” adds Caritas board member Dieter Fühner.
ADFC has been awarding this EU-wide certification since 2017. Now the Caritas Association has received the coveted “silver” seal. But what actually is a bicycle-friendly employer? Bike-friendly employers save resources and use finances wisely: Bicycle parking is cheaper on the bottom line and takes up less space than car parking. Those who get employees on their bikes therefore benefit several times over. In addition, regular exercise has been proven to improve health and increase motivation.
The next audit for a certificate will take place in 2025. Breulmann firmly believes that Caritas Rheine will continue to develop until then in order to earn the “Gold” level.
Photo: The certificate for Caritas was presented by the representatives of the ADFC: Norbert Poll (l.) and Andreas Bittner (r.) to (from left) Stefan Gude (Head of Association Policy and Communication), Alexander Breulmann (Climate Protection and Sustainability at Caritas Rheine) and Caritas Board Member Dieter Fühner.