Children will have the chance to learn essential skills for staying safe while walking and cycling, thanks to training being made available to every school in Hull.
Hull City Council has been awarded a government grant of almost £200,000 a year to offer Bikeability Cycle Training to all primary and secondary schools over the next three years.
Subject to continued funding, the training could be extended for another four years.
Bikeability is the government’s cycle training programme for schoolchildren in England.
The practical training programme provides schoolchildren with a life skill, enabling them to cycle confidently and competently on the roads.
The council will also continue to offer Pedestrian Skills training (the 21st-century version of the Green Cross Code) to all Hull primary schools. Currently, almost every school in Hull is taking up this offer.
Councillor Mark Ieronimo, Portfolio Holder for Transportation, Roads, Highways, said: “Nothing matters more than keeping our children safe on the city’s roads.
“Pedestrian skills are the first road safety skills that children learn, giving them the confidence to safely use the streets.
“These skills, along with those learnt through Bikeability training, are essential if we are to promote sustainable travel through modal shift.
“As the Bikeability programme is funded by the government, we are able to provide this vital training at no cost to council tax payers.”
More than 3.6 million children have received Bikeability cycle training since 2007.
Historically, the council has delivered around half the Bikeability training in Hull schools, with the other half delivered by the local School Games Organisers.
However, from 1 April 2023, all Bikeability funding in Hull will be administered through the council as the Local Highway Authority.
About the Bikeability Trust
The Bikeability Trust is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation with the vision to ensure everyone has the confidence to cycle and enjoy this skill for life. The Trust manages, develops and promotes the Bikeability programme on behalf of the Department for Transport.
Bikeability is the Department for Transport’s flagship national cycle training programme for schoolchildren in England and is a key component of Gear change.
Bikeability cycle training is a practical training programme, which provides schoolchildren with a life skill and enables them to cycle confidently and competently on today’s roads. More than 3.6 million children have received Bikeability cycle training since the programme’s inception in 2007.
For more information or to find a course near you, visit www.bikeability.org.uk
