Local Transport Minister visits Liverpool NHS Group to champion cycling and affordable travel

MINISTER for Local Transport Lilian Greenwood and MP for Liverpool Riverside Kim Johnson visited the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, part of NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group (UHL Group) last week, to hear how cycling and active travel initiatives are helping NHS staff access healthier, cheaper and more sustainable journeys to work.

The visit, organised alongside the Cycle to Work Alliance, forms a part of wider activity promoting active travel during Walk to School Week and highlighted the growing role cycling can play in supporting public health, reducing congestion and helping working people manage the cost of commuting.

UHL Group, which also runs Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital, Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital and Liverpool Women�s University Hospital, is committed to promoting active travel for staff and visitors, alongside its wider focus on health prevention, staff wellbeing and sustainability.

During the visit, Minister Greenwood met NHS staff who use the Cycle to Work Scheme, alongside representatives from the Group, and the Cycle to Work Alliance, to discuss how active travel can support healthier communities while helping tackle the rising cost of living.

The Group also showcased a range of initiatives supporting walking and cycling at the Royal Liverpool site, with staff sharing their experiences of using cycling as part of their daily commute.

The visit comes after independent analysis highlighted the wider benefits of the Cycle to Work Scheme, including savings for households, improved workforce wellbeing and support for cleaner transport.

The research found the Scheme returns more than �4 of value for every �1 invested by Government, while employees who switch from driving to cycling save an average of �1,262 a year on commuting costs.

Lilian Greenwood MP, Minister for Local Transport at the Department for Transport, said:- �It was fantastic to visit Royal Liverpool University Hospital and meet staff who are already feeling the day-to-day benefits of getting around by walking or cycling. The Cycle to Work Scheme is helping people save money on commuting, improve their health and choose greener ways to travel, while also supporting less congestion and cleaner air in our communities. To make walking, wheeling and cycling a more accessible option for people across the country, the Government is investing �626 million up to 2030 for local authorities to deliver vital walking and cycling schemes - enough for 500 miles of new walking and cycling routes and 170,000 more active trips per day. This will also help boost local businesses, grow local economies and ease pressure on the NHS."

Steve Edgell, Chair of the Cycle to Work Alliance, said:- �At a time when many households are continuing to feel financial pressure, the Cycle to Work Scheme is helping people access a healthier and more affordable way to travel. Cycling delivers benefits far beyond transport alone, supporting public health, reducing congestion and helping employers build healthier and more productive workforces. UHL Group is a brilliant example of an organisation creating the conditions for staff to choose healthier and more sustainable ways to travel, and we were delighted to welcome the Minister to see that work first-hand.�

Thomas Pharaoh, Group Chief Strategy Officer at UHL Group, said:- �Supporting our staff to use cycling and active travel to get to and from our hospital sites is really important to us; it lessens our impact on the environment and improves the health and wellbeing of staff. We were delighted to showcase the work that we are already doing in this area, with support from the Cycle to Work Alliance, as well as showing how we�re planning to offer more support to staff in the future.�

Kim Johnson MP, Member of Parliament for Liverpool Riverside, said:- �Hearing directly from staff that are benefitting from Cycle to Work emphasised how the scheme is helping workers access cleaner, healthier and more affordable forms of travel. Thank you to the team at UHL Group who showed me how they are enabling staff to make the change to active travel through better infrastructure and storage facilities. People in Liverpool Riverside are rightly focused on managing the cost of living, so it is encouraging to see employers step up and support their staff to cycle to work.�

The Cycle to Work Alliance advocates for expanding access to active travel schemes will play an important role in supporting healthier communities, reducing transport emissions and helping more people benefit from affordable and sustainable travel options.

St. Mary�s Girls and Boys are National Football Champions

The St. Mary's under 13 boys team beat Royal Russell School from Croydon 4-1 in a thrilling final.

TALENTED young footballers at St. Mary�s College in Crosby have crowned a season of soccer success at the School by winning three national cup finals on the same day.

4 of the School�s football teams reached the finals of the English Schools' FA Small Schools Cup which were played at:- Stoke City�s bet365 Stadium on:- Tuesday, 19 May 2026, with 3 of the St. Mary�s teams winning their finals.

The under 13 girls team beat Lambrook School from Berkshire 4 - 3 on penalties after a closely contested match which saw the scores level at 1 - 1 at the end of normal time.

St. Mary�s goalkeeper Rosie Hughes, aged 12, was the School�s shoot out hero after a second half goal from Matilda Gray had drawn the girls level. Penalties scored by Meara McBride, Matilda Gray, Aoibheann Pugh and Eloise Townsley ensured captain Sailor Howard lifted the cup moments later.

The girls� victory was followed by 2 more final wins:- the under 13 boys team beat Royal Russell School from Croydon 4-1 in their final and the under 14 boys team then rounded off a remarkable day with a 3-0 victory over Lingfield College from Surrey.

Goals from Theo Freeman, Caden Walker, Joel Wood and player of the match Harry Hanlon sealed the win for the under 13 boys team whilst Oscar Townsley, Ethan Mann and Terence Etim scored for the under 14 boys. Jacob Woods was voted player of the match for the 2nd year in a row for his performance in the under 14 final, having achieved the same accolade in last year�s under 13 final victory.

A large number of St. Mary�s pupils, parents and staff had travelled to Stoke to cheer on the teams whilst those remaining at School back in Crosby watched the matches live online.

It�s been another remarkably successful year for football at St. Mary�s, with the under 12 boys team finishing runners up in the English Schools' FA Small Schools Cup and reaching the semi final of the Sefton Small Schools Cup, and the under 13 girls team warming up for their national final by finishing runners up in the Merseyside Cup.

Meanwhile, the under 18 boys team were joint winners of the Sefton Cup, the under 13 boys reached the final of the Sefton Small Schools Cup, and the under 14 boys reached the last 16 of the National Cup for Elite Schools and are still to play in the Sefton Cup and Sefton Small Schools Cup semi finals.

St. Mary�s Principal, Mike Kennedy, commented:- �Everyone at the School has been thrilled with the success of our girls and boys football teams who have gone from strength to strength as the season has progressed. For a relatively small School like:- St. Mary�s College to have 4 of its football teams reach the finals of this prestigious national competition is a great achievement and we are immensely proud of our players, who have been fantastic ambassadors for their School and the great football City of Liverpool. I would like to pay tribute to the talent and also the commitment of all the players - teams cannot achieve this level of success without putting a huge amount of effort into training and preparation. I would also like to congratulate staff members Sally Townsley (Girls� Football Coach), Tom Manley (Boys� Football Coach) and Derek Williams (Head of Boys� PE), who have played such an important role in nurturing the talent of these young players and helping them become national champions.�

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Local Transport Minister visits Liverpool NHS Group to champion cycling and affordable travel

St. Mary�s Girls and Boys are National Football Champions

The St. Mary's under 13 boys team beat Royal Russell School from Croydon 4-1 in a thrilling final.