Published: 19 March 2008
Cycle Training Grant for 80,000 Children
Transport Minister Rosie Winterton has announced that over £3m will be dedicated to providing cycle training to nearly 80,000 school children by March 2009.
This funding is part of a £140m package announced in January, which will give up to half a million ten to eleven year olds cycle training by 2012.
Cycling has a major role to play in the Government's drive to promote sustainable travel - 41% of all trips are less than two miles, a distance easily cycled in less than 15 minutes.
Bikeability training hopefully gives children and parents the skills & confidence to cycle safely on today's busy roads, enabling them to undertake short journeys, for example cycling to school.
Rosie Winterton said:
"Encouraging cycling also encourages healthier lifestyles. Considering obesity now affects around one quarter of adults and 1 in 10 children, encouraging people to take exercise has never been more important.
At the same time congestion is getting worse. If parents can be satisfied their children can cycle safely they are more likely to let them use their bikes. And getting children cycling could even encourage their parents to dust off their own bikes."
The funding will support the new National Cycle Training Standard being promoted in England by Cycling England as Bikeability - the new cycling proficiency for the 21st century.
This training is designed to allow children to learn essential road safety skills and gain greater awareness of the dangers on the road - giving parents reassurance that their children are suitably equipped to use the roads and enjoy their bikes.
The training is also complemented by Cycling England's funding of links to school from the National Cycle Network and increases in secure cycle parking at schools.
Philip Darnton Chairman of Cycling England in supporting the DfT announcement said:
"This is wonderful news for cycling.
We are making real progress with the delivery of Bikeability training.
We are now well on course to exceed the 100,000 additional training places promised to the then Secretary of State when Cycling England was set up in 2005 and the extra 500,000 training places the Department wants by 2012."
The funding package announced in January will also see an expansion of the cycling demonstration areas programme and an additional 250 links to schools connecting 500 schools via traffic calmed or traffic-free routes to the wider national cycle network as well as other programmes to promote cycling.
Six Cycling Demonstration Towns (Aylesbury, Brighton & Hove, Darlington, Derby, Exeter & Lancaster with Morecambe) are sharing Department for Transport funding of £8.9m from 2005 to October 2008 to promote cycling and spread best practice for other areas to learn from.
Cycling England announced in February the bidding process for up to 11 more demonstration areas including the first large cycle city.
The closing date for applications is 31 March 2008. The winning areas are expected to be announced in late June. Subject to satisfactory plans the current 6 will be invited to continue until 2011 and assist the new towns with their programmes.
The Department is providing 68 local highway authorities with cycle training grants in 2008/09. All eligible grant bids have been met in full.
The funding will pay for cycle training for nearly 80,000 new places above those already being funded by local authorities.
Grants were available for a maximum of £40 per pupil. Where the cost of training exceeds £40 local authorities top up the funding either with their own funding or with parental contributions. Cost of training can vary depending on different costs and delivery mechanisms around the country.
In addition to funding cycle training through local authorities Cycling England also offers grants direct to schools through the Youth Sport Trust School Sports Partnerships. Cycling England also fund bursaries for new cycle trainers and provide funding for Bike It officers who work in schools to promote cycling.
Further information
Bike It
Cycling England : Demonstration Towns
CTSB - Cycling Training Standards Board
National Cycle Network
British Cycling
CTC
Bikeability scheme has been designed and developed by leading experts in the road safety and cycling fields including RoSPA, Local Authority Road Safety Officers (LARSOA) and the CTC. It is based on similar principles to lessons for motorcycles, allowing cyclists to assess risks and obstacles faced on the road
3. It involves a much higher standard of cycle training, including an on-road element and is designed to give confidence and skills to deal with today's road conditions. Bikeability teaches more than how to control a bike, helping people assess the risks and obstacles they are likely to face when cycling.
Bikeability consists of 3 levels of training:
· Level 1: aimed at 7-9 year olds is off road and teaches basic cycling and balances skills
· Level 2: aimed at 10-11 years introduces on-road training building on the first level
· Level 3: aimed at older children/ adults. Includes tackling difficult road features (e.g. roundabouts) and the safe use of cycle facilities
Related articles
New Fund to encourage Safe Cycling
Promoting Sustainable Transport in Urban Areas
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