Cornish pro-cycling team joins forces with Cornwall's Duchy Hospital to drive health and wellbeing
Saint Piran Pro Cycling, the UK’s number one team, and Duchy Hospital, part of Ramsay Health Care UK – today announce a partnership designed to help promote positive physical and mental wellbeing across Cornish communities.
The Cornwall-based partnership will focus on an innovative rollout programme involving discussions on health, community engagement, education, forging partnerships with cycling and healthcare providers, to improve holistic wellbeing among populations in the South-West.
Both Saint Piran and Ramsay Health Care UK are renowned as leaders in their respective fields. Ramsay Health Care UK is a global company and is one of the leading providers of independent healthcare services across the UK. The organisation is well-respected in the healthcare industry and within the local communities it serves for providing excellent patient-centered care.
Saint Piran Pro Cycling runs four men’s and women’s teams racing across the world, on road, mountain bikes, cyclocross, track and gravel. It boasts Olympic gold medalists, national and world champions and represents the South West in some of the most prestigious cycling races in the world – including Tour of Britain and Tours of Norway and Japan. Both Ramsay and Saint Piran share several of the same goals and values:
A stated goal and approach to achieve net zero
Health and wellbeing at the heart of the organisation
A dedication to supporting communities
A leading voice for their industry
Excellence in everything we do
Cycling is still one of the fastest-growing leisure activities in the UK, with over 10% of the population cycling regularly. With riders based across the region, Saint Piran’s profile as a professional sports team has helped inspire the public to join group rides, hire bikes for the day at its centre in Bissoe, or take up the sport more seriously.
Team Owner, Richard Pascoe, says: “Heading into 2024, we are delighted to announce Ramsay Health Care UK as a partner. Working with such dedicated and focused professionals allows us to broaden the impact of cycling on the wellbeing of communities. This partnership has the potential to evolve into a nationwide programme and add significant value to lives nationally. We are excited to showcase our joint aims surrounding impacts we can make in society, racing and cycling.
“Our Saint Piran women’s racing league is growing across the South-West, and plans are in place for a series of community gravel rides in 2024. The beauty of running a community-first programme is that we blend our approach to maximise success in the racing teams, whilst inspiring others to get on a bike.”
Louise Rowbotham the Hospital Director at Duchy Hospital adds: “Cycling is generally easier on aging joints and every ride covers a sense of adventure, it’s innately sociable and there are lots of measurable metrics. It combines endurance, strength, agility and coordination and mental toughness.
“As cyclists we can trade hugely improved cardiovascular and cognitive health for the occasional orthopaedic problem, foot pain due to poor fitting shoes, knee injuries, or back, neck and shoulder pain due to incorrect positioning or posture on the bike. Duchy Hospital is able to treat any orthopaedic complaints, as well as review or treat cardiac risk and heart related problems. We are extremely pleased to have this partnership with Saint Piran.”
