Call for Cycling Champions

By John Swindells 09 Nov 2005 | Comment
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With lack of physical exercise among children contributing to the increasing health problems of young people, Sustrans - the UK's leading sustainable transport charity and the force behind the National Cycle Network and Safe Routes to Schools - is urging parents, teachers and pupils to follow the lead of two local schools and become an official School Champion and actively encourage UK school children to 'keep on cycling' throughout the winter months.

Aiming to secure just one Champion for every one of the UK's 29,023 schools - including one in each of Norfolk's 413 schools - through online registration, the campaign has been developed in response to the growing concerns about the increasingly sedentary lifestyle of children in the UK. The Champions scheme builds on the success of a pilot scheme developed by Sustrans, which has seen 1600 Champions already registered across the UK. Each has been developing and organising activities to encourage teachers, parents and children to think cycling and walking first when it comes to getting to school.

By giving just a few hours each month, School Champions have already delivered amazing results:

  • parents have arranged car-free days
  • cycle training
  • cycling and walking incentive schemes
Teachers have also taken up the cause by developing and implementing School Travel Plans and working with individual pupil champions or with their classes to:
  • organise petitions
  • develop maps of safe routes to school
  • even prepare presentations to local authorities
All of this with the intention of securing support.

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