Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has announced £18 million for cycle training across the country to ensure children and their families have the confidence to choose active travel.
The funding, which is managed via the Bikeability Trust charity, will go toward delivering high-quality, practical on-road cycle training as a modern day equivalent of the ‘cycling proficiency’ scheme many parents will themselves have undertaken during their school days.
At different levels of the Bikeability scheme, children will learn how to: develop early cycle handling and awareness skills (Bikeability Balance); master pedalling (Bikeability Learn to Ride); prepare for on-road cycling (Level 1); cycle on single-lane roads and simple junctions (Level 2); and handle busier streets, complex junctions and roundabouts (Level 3).
Local authorities can offer bespoke Bikeability Family training sessions with an instructor, to help them feel confident in a range of scenarios ranging from a weekend ride to commuting and taking the children to school.
More than 3.5 million children have taken part in Bikeability training since its launch in 2006, learning basic cycle handling skills, risk assessment, and how to ride safely and confidently on the road.
Shapps said: “Cycling is such a fun and healthy way for pupils to get to school, and we want as many as possible to make it their choice of transport. With social distancing still a necessity, the more people who walk or cycle, the more we can keep ease pressure on public transport as people return to normal life.
“But we know not all children, or parents, feel bike-confident. Today’s funding will kick-start our plans to provide Bikeability training to all children by 2025, giving the next generation of cyclists a life skill and the confidence they need to choose a more active way to travel.”
Emily Cherry, executive director of the Bikeability Trust, said: “The commitment of government to fund Bikeability in this next year is hugely welcomed as we seek to ensure that every child can access cycling as a life skill by 2025. This record investment will allow us to reach more children and, importantly, their families too, as a result of additional funding for our Family module.
“Personally, I know the value of Bikeability cycle training for both children and their parents, having taken part in family training with my teacher husband and our children. Now, they cycle to school daily using the skills they learned from the training and, as a family, we continue to enjoy cycling together. Bikeability is the first step to ensure that adults and children alike have the confidence and competence to cycle.”
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