Event celebrates the success of cycling project
Lanarkshire locals (and non-locals!) are encouraged to come along to Rigside Community Hall on Saturday March 23rd from 11am to try out pumptrack riding and mountain biking for free, as well as have some tea and cakes to celebrate the Make Your Way cycling programme.
Six schools in South Lanarkshire have been learning new skills by engaging with a nine week cycling programme. Leadhills, Douglas, Lamington, Crawford, Rigside and Abington Primary Schools have all been involved in this part of the Make Your Way project, delivered by Socialtrack, the social enterprise behind the Wishawhill Wood Pumptrack, and run by Community Action Lanarkshire, a Rural Development Trust project, and funded by Lanarkshire LEADER and Paths for All’s Smarter Choices Smarter Places fund.
Over 100 children have been involved, with fifteen who had never been on a bike before now riding in the BMX based programme, and includes a variety of bike related activities and challenges.
A teacher from Leadhills primary says; “My kids just get really excited and ask when the fun bike people are coming!”
A pupil from Douglas said; “Socialtrack is making me more confident with my riding, their limbo thing is always fun to do”
Dan Scott from Socialtrack says; “the best thing is when they arrive at a session and get on a bike and show you the skills they were out practising at the weekend.”
The programme is designed to engage young pupils with cycling, firstly for fun but with the full knowledge that any increase in physical activity promotes better mental and physical health. The programme also included active travel promotion as well as bike maintenance skills. With an ability to cycle, and eventually commute a distance on a bike, people will also have more opportunities for employment, education and training.
This school cycling programme is part of the Make Your Way project, which aims to encourage, promote and develop active and sustainable travel.
