Carcroft Primary Bike It Project
Work with Carcroft Primary School
Doncaster Primary Care Trust's Choosing Health Project, in conjunction with Sustrans 'Bike it' Project and Carcroft Primary School, have now had a purpose built Undercover cycle storage Unit built by Lock It Safe on the School grounds. The Unit was funded using Choosing Health Monies but also includes extensive work with the school been undertaken by Bike It who are running educational sessions around cycling / safety / health benefits / and environmental issues in the school. For a long time children have wanted to cycle to school and sometimes there were too many bikes and no suitable storage. Andrew Picken stated "Cycling is a great way to do your bit for the environment whilst at the same time improving and maintaining fitness levels". This shelter is expected to give children the opportunities to cycle to school if they so wish and equip them through the education program with the knowledge to do so safely.
DONCASTER SCHOOL GETS NEW SECURE BIKE STORAGE UNIT
Youngsters can now cycle to school safely thanks to NHS support
PUPILS at a Doncaster school are pedalling their way to a healthier lifestyle – thanks to the local NHS.
The youngsters at Carcroft primary were missing out on being able to cycle to school because there was nowhere to store their bikes securely when they got there.
But now they are doing wheelies after Doncaster Primary Care Trust’s (PCT) Choosing Health project paid for a new shelter than can safely store up to 30 cycles under lock and key.
The £10,000 unit will be officially opened on Monday (9 June), when each of the school’s 200 pupils will also be given a high visibility jacket – complete with NHS logo – to help them travel to and from school safely.
Andrew Picken, Doncaster PCT’s Choosing Health development worker/trainer for Carcroft and Skellow, said: “The new unit provides secure, safe storage for the bikes, encouraging pupils to cycle to school and keep healthy at the same time by becoming more physically active.
And funding the shelter has enabled the school to take part in Bike It – a year-long cycling educational programme run by sustainable transport charity, Sustrans, which will cover topics like cycling to school safely, bike maintenance and environmental issues. It is believed to be the first time a PCT has worked with the charity on the Bike It scheme.
Cycling is being widely promoted in the school by a group of pupils called the Bike It Crew. Head teacher Simon Hickton said: “We are encouraging our pupils to develop healthy lifestyles and protect the local environment. Thanks to the Bike It Crew, supported by Jim Cole from Sustrans, the older pupils can keep fit by cycling to school and reduce our carbon footprint at the same time.
“This is something the school children have asked for and have now got, showing how pupil power has been turned into green pedal power.”