Programme helping children learn to cycle in Guernsey back up to full strength
- Bikeability training is actively ongoing this school term.
- Three new instructors have completed their training, bringing the team back to full strength.
- Over 2,000 school children have been trained since September 2021.
- The Health Improvement Commission is funding a ‘Learn 2 Ride’ after-school initiative.
- 'Cycle Confidence' sessions for adults are successfully conducted.
Following the successful completion of training for three newly recruited instructors, Bikeability is delivering a schedule of cycling training sessions for both primary school students and adults.
Funded and managed by Traffic and Highway Services, the programme has trained more than 2,000 local school children since its inception in September 2021.
Colin Le Page, Strategy and Policy Manager – Traffic and Highway Services said: “We’re really pleased to have been able to bring our Bikeability team back up to full strength. Helping the youngest members of our community learn how to cycle safely and confidently is an important way to reduce the number of vehicle journeys and increase the uptake of alternative forms of transport, in line with Guernsey’s Integrated Transport Strategy.”
The initiative aims to build greater cycling confidence among the youth.
“One of the main barriers to cycling for transport is that many individuals are not confident to cycle on the roads. Bikeability is about more than learning to ride, it’s about building confidence, enabling freedom of choice and gaining independence through cycling.”
In support of schools with lower participation rates in the programme, the Health Improvement Commission has introduced a ‘Learn 2 Ride’ after-school club.
This initiative aims to give children a preliminary advantage before commencing formal Bikeability training. Additionally, the Commission has donated over 100 balance and small pedal bikes to Early Years settings and schools, along with providing bicycles in parks for family use this summer.
Amy Woollaston, Active Travel Officer at the Commission, said: “Rain or shine, the dedicated Bikeability team works throughout the year to help children in Guernsey become confident, consistent cyclists who can ride safely and share the road responsibly.
"Our Be Active team aims to get more people more active, more often and cycling to and from school is one of the easiest ways for families to be active on a regular basis. Learning to ride should be a rite of passage for all children, and by fostering a culture of cycling at this age, it’s more likely to become the norm for these children to choose active travel when they become adults.”
The Health Improvement Commission has been conducting a school travel audit.
Its Be Active team is optimistic about continuing to observe an upward trend in active travel rates for commuting to and from schools across Guernsey.
HIC also has Cycle Confidence sessions targeting adults.
These sessions were held alongside the Wheels for You accessible cycling initiatives at Les Beaucamps High School on alternate Sundays from April through October.
The programme has successfully trained 19 individual adults through one-to-one instruction by qualified Bikeability instructors in a safe, off-road environment, recording a total of 37 attendances across the 12 sessions.
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