SCHOOL across Cumbria are being invited to take part in the 2019 Bike to School Week from September 23 to 27.

Organised by Sustrans, the national walking and cycling charity, and supported by the Bikeability Trust, Bike to School Week celebrates cycling to school and the benefits of travelling actively for children.

Cumbria County Council’s Active Travel team is inviting all schools in Cumbria to take part.

Current figures show that only two per cent of primary school children in England travel to school by bike. This is a stark contrast to cycling levels elsewhere such as in the Netherlands, where cycling is the main mode of transport for 49 per cent of primary school children.

These figures suggest that more needs to be done in the UK to make cycling an easy, safe, and appealing option for travelling to school.

To support schools in Cumbria throughout Bike to School Week, there are a range of resources available, including school posters plus a five-day pack of daily activities to be completed in class and a video guide with simple practices to check your bike is safe to ride.

These activities aim to inspire pupils to think about their journeys to school, understand the benefits of active travel, and consider the causes and effects of air pollution.

Infant and primary schools in Cumbria are being invited to submit one favourite photo of their children cycling to school and have a chance to win a £100 Halfords voucher, courtesy of the county council’s Active Travel team.

Outside of the classroom, families are invited to join two competitions:

* The Bike to School Week Sustrans photo competition, where sharing photos of cycling to and from school with the hashtag #SustransWin could see one lucky pupil win a brand new Frog Bike. Parents are also invited to download the Sustrans guide that offers tips on cycling, walking and scooting to school.

* The Bikeability Trust story competition. All entrants of stories about riding to and from school during Bike to School Week will be entered into a prize draw to win a brand new Carrera Abyss 24 inch wheel suitable for 8 – 9 years old: To enter, visit https://bikeability.org.uk/your-stories/

Xavier Brice, CEO at Sustrans says:

“Bike to School Week is a great way to show the benefits of cycling to school for children across the UK, and to promote the positive impact that an active lifestyle can have on children’s wellbeing and overall health.

“We’re calling on schools across the country to take part, use the new resources and inspire children and parents to travel actively to school. We also hope Bike to School Week will send a clear message to the UK government to prioritise a safer and more pleasant environment for children to walk and cycle to school.”

The Bikeability Trust and Active Travel will be working throughout Bike to School Week to inspire pupils who have completed their Bikeability training to continue cycling confidently between home and school.

Undertaking professional cycle training can play a huge part in overcoming some of the initial fears of getting out and about on the roads and will equip young riders with the competence and confidence to cycle well and share the road appropriately with other road users. Bikeability training is available in all Cumbrian primary and junior schools and some secondary schools, with over five thousand children receive training in Cumbria each year.

Judith Aris, Cumbria County Councils’ Active Travel officer, said: “Bike to School Week is a great opportunity for schools to focus on travelling to school by bike and children who have done their Bikeability training can put their skills into practice and develop longer term cycling habits for the future. They will be more confident to cycle not only the trip to and from school, but also around their neighbourhoods to meet friends, go to the leisure centre, or nip down to the shops.”

For more information on Bike to School Week, including access to resources, visit:

https://www.sustrans.org.uk/campaigns/bike-to-school-week-2019/

https://bikeability.org.uk/bikeability-club/bike-to-school-week/

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