Victoria Pendleton serves up first ‘Pick your Own’ low cost strawberries at Wimbledon

Team Green Britain launches low-carbon and money saving initiative to celebrate Team Green Britain Bike Week

28 June 2010

As Wimbledon served up its first days of tennis this week, queuing fans were treated to a surprise visit from Team Green Britain ambassador Victoria Pendleton MBE as she unveiled the very first mobile, ‘Pick your Own’, locally sourced[1] strawberries at this year’s tournament for Team Green Britain Bike Week.

In celebration of Team Green Britain Bike Week (19th – 27th June), Olympic gold-medallist Victoria Pendleton headed up a team of cyclists who rode round the queues of tennis fans in Wimbledon Park. The ‘Pick your Own’ initiative was welcomed by tennis fans who lapped up the chance to sample locally sourced strawberries with a difference for a charity donation to Paralympics GB, one of EDF Energy’s charity partners. The team of cyclists offered visitors the chance to pick their own locally grown strawberries from their bike baskets, in a bid to get Brits thinking about making sustainable choices such as how you travel and what you eat.

The ‘Pick your Own’ scheme is part of Team Green Britain’s summer of activities, which sees founder EDF Energy encouraging people across the country to reduce their carbon footprint by changing their daily actions in ways which are better for them and for the environment. Both hopping back on your bike and eating locally sourced produce are just two activities which can help to save money and lower carbon emissions.

As a supporter of Team Green Britain, Victoria Pendleton is encouraging everyone to think about their carbon footprint and consider cycling as a more sustainable and significantly cheaper way of getting around. Cycling England has claimed that a 20% increase in cycling trips would release a cumulative saving of £500 million by 2015 [2].

Poised on her strawberry-laden bicycle, Team Green Britain Ambassador, Victoria Pendleton said: ““The ‘Pick your Own’ initiative is part of Team Green Britain’s summer of activities to encourage the use of local produce and as an EDF Energy Team Green Britain ambassador my role is to encourage as many people as possible to change their daily actions to reduce their carbon footprint. This week is also Team Green Britain Bike Week for instance so we’re asking people to cycle instead of taking the car as a way to save money, get fitter and reduce your carbon footprint all at the same time. There are lots of fun bike events happening around the UK this week so check out www.bikeweek.org.uk to see what is going on in your local area.”

Phillip Darnton, Chairman of Cycling England, said: “Plenty of people get in their cars and nip into town without giving it a second thought. Yet hopping on a bike could get you there cheaper and give you a healthy boost along the way. We want everyone to come along to a Team Green Britain Bike Week event and find out how cycling can become a part of everyday life”.

Eva Eisenschimmel, EDF Energy’s Chief Operating Officer commented, “Team Green Britain is about encouraging people to make simple changes in their daily lives to save money and energy, which is why EDF Energy is proud to be supporting Team Green Britain Bike Week. Cycling can be a practical everyday lifestyle choice which helps your pocket as well as the planet.”

The ‘Pick Your Own’ Bike is a fun way of making us consider the environmental impact of the choices we make when it comes to the journeys we take and the food we eat. As the UK’s largest producer of low carbon electricity EDF Energy, has created Team Green Britain to inspire and enable people across the country to take action against climate change.

Team Green Britain Bike Week will see towns, villages and cities across the UK hosting free cycling events with the theme of ‘everyday cycling, for everyone’. Events are open to all from total novices to passionate cyclists and will inspire everyone to hop on their bikes and discover the benefits of swapping four wheels for pedal power.

To find your nearest event, visit www.bikeweek.org.uk and enter your postcode. If you’d like to take part but don’t have a bike, this shouldn’t stop you – you can simply search for your nearest bike rental outlet on the website. Team Green Britain Bike Week is also on twitter.com/TGBBikeWeek.

For more information on Team Green Britain, please visit www.teamgreenbritain.org.

Ends   

Note to editors:

Team Green Britain Bike Week Events are happening across the country this week. For more information and to find your nearest event, please visit www.bikeweek.org.uk

Victoria Pendleton will be using the bike designed by journalist Dawn Porter from Stylist magazine for the initiative.

Great reasons to get on your bike:

•               In a hurry? With more and more dedicated cycle-paths across the country, during rush-hour a bicycle could get you there faster - good if you hate being stuck in traffic jams!

•               According to Act On CO2, more than half of all car trips are five miles or less – swapping them for a 15 minute bike ride could really help you make savings on fuel costs

•               Cycling is a great way to keep fit. So you could be beating the traffic, saving money, and staying in shape too, all by just choosing to cycle!

•               Cycling can be a great family activity; it’s free, healthy and fun

For more information, please contact:

Weber Shandwick contact Judy Ingber Ph: +44 (0) 207 067 0709 e-mail:jingber@webershandwick.com

EDF Energy contact Mike Stuart Ph: +44 020 7089 0315 e-mail: michael.stuart@edfenergy.com

Bike Week Contact Vicky Argles Ph: +44 020 7403 2230 e-mail: vicky@forster.co.uk

Note to editors:

EDF Energy Green Fund – EDF Energy has awarded £4.4 million to 252 renewable energy projects since the Green Fund was launched in 2001, including £1.8 million to 107 projects in schools, nurseries and colleges. The fund supports renewable energy projects which produce power from the sun, wind, water and geothermal sources that reduce greenhouse gases linked to global warming. Awards of up to £30,000 are available for projects in Great Britain and such funds have helped schools, charities, local authorities, churches, water mills and other non-profit organisations to generate clean, green energy in their own community.

The Green Fund awards are possible through EDF Energy’s Green Tariff for consumers who decide to choose renewable energy for their home. Customers on the tariff contribute towards the Green Fund, which EDF Energy matches pound for pound. Customers can choose renewable energy for their home by calling 0800 096 9696 (calls may be recorded) and requesting information on EDF Energy’s Green Tariff. Each Green Tariff customer receives an energy efficiency pack including a free home energy survey, information on energy efficiency grants and energy efficiency advice.

EcoRenew – Our EcoRenew product range can be useful for people wanting to start making their own renewable energy. Currently the EDF Energy range consists of three products: solar photovoltaic (PV), solar thermal and air source heat pumps.

About EDF Energy

EDF Energy is one of the UK’s largest energy companies, producing around one-fifth of the nation's electricity from its nuclear, coal and gas power stations, as well as combined heat and power plants and wind farms. The company provides power to a quarter of the UK’s population via its electricity distribution networks and supplies gas and electricity to more than 5.5 million business and residential customers. It is the largest supplier of electricity based on volume supplied to major business in Britain.

EDF Energy’s safe and secure operation of its eight existing nuclear power stations at sites across the country makes it the UK’s largest generator of low carbon electricity.  EDF Energy is also leading the UK's nuclear renaissance and has published plans to build four new nuclear reactors, subject to the right investment framework. These new plants could generate enough low carbon electricity for about 40% of Britain’s homes. They would make an important contribution to the UK’s future needs for clean, secure and affordable energy. The project is already creating business and job opportunities for British companies and workers.

Through Our Sustainability Commitments, EDF Energy has launched one of the biggest environmental and social programmes of any UK energy company. EDF is the official energy utilities partner and sustainability partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The company is also helping its customers and others use energy more sustainably through products and initiatives such as Team Green Britain.

EDF Energy is part of EDF Group, one of Europe’s largest power companies. Following the integration with British Energy in 2009, the company employs nearly 20,000 people at locations across the UK.