York Timbers is once again providing an opportunity to their employees to be fit and healthy by subsidising the distribution of 300 new Qhubeka bicycles to its employees. This takes place on 22 September and will help bicycle recipients to get to work safely and more easily.
York Timbers is celebrating its 100-year anniversary this year. While the company has marked this milestone with various celebrations and community contributions throughout the year, there will be 300 York Timbers employees with especially big smiles on their faces on 22 September 2016. These employees will be receiving brand new robust Qhubeka bicycles, which have been 50% subsidised by York Timbers.
“This is the second year York has made it possible for York Employees to purchase a Qhubeka Bike at half the cost,” explains Kirsten Coetzee, Chief Human Capital Officer at York Timbers. “Last year we had 100 employees who were interested, but this year when we sent out the request, we had 300 employees committing to purchase a bicycle.”
Gert Mdawe is one of last year’s recipients of a Qhubeka bike. “My bike is my energy and it makes me happy to be part of team York,” he says.
Sarah Phaweni, Qhubeka Executive Director, says that Qhubeka is always excited by partnerships with companies like York Timbers that are willing to help their employees to progress in work and in life.
“Qhubeka is an Nguni word that means ‘to move forward’ or ‘to progress’. We believe that by helping employees to purchase these bicycles, York Timbers is assisting them in ‘moving forward’ in their own lives,” she says. “With bicycles, York employees can get to work more quickly and safely than if they were walking, and they don’t have to spend money using public transport to commute. We commend York Timbers on their investment into their employees’ wellbeing and futures, and we hope many other companies will follow their example.”
The Qhubeka bikes will be distributed to York employees in Graskop, Jessievale, Roodekop, Epping and Sabie and surrounding areas. As in 2015, the 2016 bicycle distribution event will take place during the York Enduro Mountain Bike Rally. This year is the fourth annual York Enduro. Since its inception, the event has grown to attract riders from across the country and even international MTB enthusiasts.
The York Enduro Mountain Bike Rally is held every year in Sabie, in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province, and will take place this year from 24 to 27 September. The event tests various MTB disciplines and partners each corporate team with a leading South African professional cyclist who rides with the corporate team. Professional cyclists socialise with corporate teams, and riding together provides an opportunity for skills transfer throughout the duration of the event.
The entry fees for the annual York Enduro Mountain Bike Rally are used for raising the funds for York Timbers to sponsor half the price of each Qhubeka bicycle.
