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Bike It! officers – of which there are four, with their wages paid by the Bike Hub levy – organise a wide range of events and activities to encourage schoolchildren to take to their wheels.
The Bike Hub levy scheme is supported by the Bicycle Association and the Association of Cycle Traders. The great majority of UK cycle suppliers are involved with the scheme, notable exceptions being Dawes/Falcon and Halfords. Further details about Bike Hub can be found here: http://www.ba-gb.com/index.php?ps=5
Kids in 40 Bike It! pilot schools across the UK receive professional, accredited on-and-off road cycle training to equip them to cycle to school. The scheme is also starting to tackle practical issues such as secure cycle storage, cycle paths and traffic calming measures close to schools.
Yesterday, at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Crossflatts Primary school, a link cycling path, built in July, was officially opened by Olympic medallist Jonny Clay. It’s this cyclepath that has made cycling to Crossflatts school safer, hence the uplift in the number of children cycling to school.
At the opening Keith Lambert, owner of Keith Lambert Cycles of Bingley, ran a ‘Save my Bike’ session, showing 50 of the school’s pupils some basic bike maintenance checks.
"We are so proud of Crossflatts school," said Vicki Hill, the Bike-It officer for Yorkshire.
"The enthusiasm from staff, parents and children alike is incredible and it is wonderful to see the Bike-It project take off in this way.
"Most people understand that we have to tackle record levels of child obesity and inactivity at the same time as cutting congestion and car use and all the problems of pollution and road traffic that brings to the school environment. At Crossflatts school they prepared to put in the work to achieve this."
Crossflatts Primary built its link path in July with money from the local council and the Department for Education.
