So Many Pedals ……….. for the big pedal. - Sustrans

Spring Term 2012 Bike It NI South East
Sustrans Bike It South East news
So Many Pedals ……….. for the big pedal.
The Big Pedal involved children from early years upwards to teachers,
parents and even pirates in Ballymacash Primary School and five
other schools within the SE area. Those taking part were lucky with
great weather and fantastic numbers were logged in having made the
journey to school by bicycle. A total of 2,218 journeys were taken
during the three weeks with 1707 children coming to school on bikes,
254 with scooters, supported by 257 adults.
New skills in the playground and Dr Bike in the bike shed.
Many on road cycle skills can be developed through games and
practice in the playground, especially for younger children,
developing skills such as keeping to rules, reacting to other people’s
behaviour, keeping calm, testing their motor skills with manoeuvres.
This term Pamela, with lots of help from Jackie - a volunteer - spent
two days in Holywood PS where pupils from P1 to P7 took part in
some fun playground cycle skills activities. Even though the
weather wasn’t good everyone was full of energy and enthusiasm
and a great time was had by all. Pamela also worked with P4 and
P5 pupils from Comber PS for after school cycle skills activities,
building up to the grand slow race to finish, a real test of balance
and control.
Meanwhile 239 bikes in five schools came in for a health
check, brakes, wheels, steering and pedals were all checked out
and any problems noted. Pamela got lots of help from Paul Smith
from Bangor Bikeworks and John and Gavin Hanna of JM Hanna’s
shop in Lisburn who gave their time and energy - and spare parts -
to help check and where possible replace brake cables etc.
Sustrans is the charity that’s enabling people to travel by foot, bike or
public transport for more of the journeys we make every day. It’s time we
all began making smarter travel choices. Make your move and support
Sustrans today. www.sustrans.org.uk
© Sustrans 2012. Registered Charity No. 326550 (England and Wales) SCO39263 (Scotland)
I’d love to hear from you…
I’m Pamela Grove-White,
Sustrans schools officer for Bike
It South East. Please get in touch
if you have any great school
stories or would like to find out
more about our schools work.
Tel: 028 9043 4569
Mob: 07884 393537
Email: pamela.grove-white@sustrans.org.uk

Heard this term…
“The Big Pedal is a great Sustrans
competition to get more kids out on
two wheels. So many kids want to
cycle so we should make it easy for
them to get around by bike and to be
fit and healthy. It's brilliant to see
Sustrans encouraging children from a
young age to be happy, independent
and free-range, and maybe even feel
inspired to become future British
cycling champions.”
Mark Cavendish, World Champion cyclist,
20-times Tour de France stage winner
“Wheelie Wednesday is definitely
improving our cycling figures
especially on Weds but also Thursday
and Friday. Additionally we had a
Christmas-themed Wheelie Weds last
week where the children came in
earlier for milk and Christmas cookies
(72 attended !!!) plus parents. Santa
(my husband) was a little bashful
when he arrived in the hall on his bike
as a surprise to draw the raffle, but
the children loved it!”
Michelle Massimo, Kingswood Primary
This term in numbers
Your local schools
Bike Health Checks carried out in 5 schools with
239 bikes being checked.
3 Bike It Breakfast/brunches were run 300
pupils, family members and teachers taking part.
National Standards cycle training; 73 children
achieved level 2 and 12 level 1.
Top bike shed (including scooters) counts this
term;
Holywood PS – 121
Ballymacash PS – 81
Andrews Memorial PS - 61
Comber PS - 51
All Children’s IPS – 46
Did you know?
In 1971, 80% of 7 and 8 year-olds
travelled to school without an
adult. By 2009 only 11% of 7 to 10
year-olds did the same.
National Standards Cycle Training
Four schools took part in National Standards Cycle training
with pupils from P6 and P7 classes getting the chance to
develop their skills from playground experience to on road
training, looking at starting and finishing a journey,
checking for other road users, setting position on the road
and always being ‘pedal ready’.
.
Certificates for
training
Getting ready
to start a
journey
Talking about positioning
and turning into a junction
…and across the UK
The results achieved in the Bike It SE area contribute to Sustrans’
school work throughout the UK. Sustrans is currently directly
engaged with 1,405 schools, with a total of more than 380,000
pupils*. Between 5-23 March, Sustrans ran the Big Pedal cycle to
school challenge (see Page 4), and the results were startling:
• 898 primary and 61 secondary schools took part
• Collectively they represented almost 312,000 pupils
• 890,304 journeys were generated by bike or scooter
• On average 21% of pupils at Big Pedal schools took part on
a daily basis – the national average for cycling (not scooting)
in primary schools is just 1%, for secondaries it’s 2% (2010)
The Sustrans Bike It School Mark recognises schools which show
exceptional commitment to cycling with Bronze, Silver and Gold
awards. 432 schools already have Bronze status, with 35 at Silver
and working hard to be the first UK school to achieve the coveted
Gold School Mark award.
Our Winter Sticker design competition to encourage cycling
attracted over 8,000 inspired (and inspiring) entries.
*based on a total school roll for all primary and middle schools, and the targeted
pupils within the secondary schools.
Bike It NI South East Sustrans schools update Spring Term 2012

What’s Sustrans up to with
schools in your region?
We are working with schools in three
areas of Northern Ireland. In addition to
the work in the South Eastern Health
Trust area we are working with 8 schools
in Belfast and 2 schools in
Derry~Londonderry. In Belfast pupils at
Bike It schools regularly cycling to
schools has risen from 5% to 14% in
just one year.
In Derry Greenhaw PS have done a year
of the Sustrans Bike it programme and
won the bronze award for their efforts.
This was presented by the Mayor in Feb
Photo competition
Caption: High Five for cycling!
Find a favourite photograph from Bike
It activities this year; could you get a
better one than mine?
Send your photos to:
pamela.grove-white@sustrans.org.uk
Hype that site – www.walktoschool.org.uk
Walk to School Week is coming up between 21-25 May… the
ideal opportunity to get any non-cyclists to discover the joy of an
active journey to school. The site has free resources, case
studies and advice for parents, schools and local authorities on
how to get involved. Remember, pupils who walk to school burn
more calories in a week than the recommended 2 hours of PE...
What else is new?
Active School Travel in Northern Ireland is set to receive
much more focus in coming years following targets in the
Programme for Government (PfG). The target is “by 2015
create the conditions to facilitate at least 36% of primary
school pupils and 22% of secondary school pupils to walk
or cycle to school as their main mode of transport.”
Thumbs up to this great news from pupils and staff from
the Hezlett PS on their weekly walking bus.
Top tips for the term
• The clocks have changed, so can you fit in
any after-school bike activities?
• Start Wheelie-Wednesdays to involve pupils
and parents who can’t cycle every day
• Spring clean your bike… better weather
means it will get more use, have you given
yours an “M-check”?
• Help pupils become Sustrans Heroes to
celebrate the London 2012 Games! Ask your
officer for details.
Get these resources…
• Clocks Forward Fun… our activity sheet to
celebrate the extra light
• M-check advice… the quick way to check
your bike is safe and ready to roll
You can download both (and more!) at
www.sustrans.org.uk/freerangekids/families/res
ources-for-families
Bike It NI South East Sustrans schools update Spring Term 2012

School travel news from the UK
As Sustrans’ Schools, Children and Young People team
continues to grow in 2012, the outstanding efforts of its
officers working in schools was recognised in the PEA
(People, Environment, Achievement) Awards, as Bike It took
the “Schools” category. In London, Bike It also captured the
“Sustainable Travel and Transport” category of the
Sustainable City Awards.
But in the spring term the Big Story was the Big Pedal. Over
310,000 pupils were represented by schools competing in
this “virtual” bike race around the UK. The more who cycled
to school, the faster they completed the race. Powered by
Sustrans, funded by the Bike Hub and supported by our very
generous prize sponsors, it was an incredible success. How
incredible? Check the figures on P2….
This term, Sustrans schools can celebrate the London 2012
Olympic and Paralympic Games through our Heroes award
scheme. Officially “Inspire-marked” for London 2012,
children can earn Bronze, Silver or Gold awards by
demonstrating various Sustrans, Olympic and Paralympic
values related to cycling and sustainable travel. Your local
Sustrans officer can let you know how to take part.
Finally, on 14 May there will be a Parliamentary Reception
to celebrate Sustrans’ Free Range Kids campaign to create
environments for active, independent and healthy young
people, through 20 mph limits and safe walking and cycling
routes. Support this vision at www.freerangekids.org.uk
Please continue to support our work
Sustrans’ vision is a world in which people choose to travel in ways that benefit their health and the
environment, and this applies to children just as much as it does to adults. The positive experiences of all the
children that you have you have read about in this newsletter are the culmination of more than 16 years of
Sustrans and our officers working with schools and young people.
Without your support, many children would not have the opportunity to enjoy independent and active journeys
in and around their communities, so a huge thank you from us on their behalf. The long-term benefits of
creating healthy and sustainable journeys will be shared by every one of us – in terms of our health, the
environment and the wider economy.
If you like the sound of what Sustrans does and think that more schools and young people in your area
could benefit from our work, or you want to know more, please get in touch with us.
email info@sustrans.org.uk
phone 0845 113 0065
online www.sustrans.org.uk
Dates for the diary
April
6-9 th
Easter
22 nd Earth Day & Diamond
Jubilee… celebrate your crowning
achievements!
27 th
London 2012 …. three months
until the games begin
May
14 th
Free Range Kids Parliamentary
Reception, visit
www.freerangekids,org.uk
21-25 th Walk to School Week (see
P2)
June
3 rd
The Big Lunch… why not have a
street party? Visit www.thebiglunch.com
16-24 th
Bike Week, visit
www.bikeweek.org.uk
17 th
Fathers Day
29 th
End of term …. How have
Sustrans heroes done? Have you got
your Bike Mark?
July
Bike It NI South East Sustrans schools update Spring Term 2012
20 th
27 th
Ramadan begins
London 2012 Games begin
Sustrans is grateful for the continued support of our schools work in N Ireland South East from the following: