Council’s Summer of Cycling gets dozens of children riding in first week
More than 70 local children have learnt to ride a bike during the first week of the school holidays thanks to a free initiative run by Telford & Wrekin Council, with hundreds more expected to learn during August.
Telford & Wrekin Council’s Summer of Cycling campaign got off to a great start last week, with 79 children taking part in free ‘learn to ride’ training sessions provided by council-run Telford Bike Hub.
Telford Bike Hub, which offers affordable bike hire from its Town Park location, will be hosting a total of 42 of the free ‘learn to ride’ sessions throughout the school holidays, and anticipates it will see almost 300 local children gain cycling skills and confidence. The sessions have proven hugely popular, with local parents snapping up all 420 places as soon as they were launched.
As part of its Summer of Cycling campaign, the Bike Hub is also offering a wide array of biking related activities and events for the whole family, encouraging all residents to get on their bike.
Confident riders will enjoy one of 11 free ‘led’ rides around the Town Park and down to Coalport, while those looking to boost their cycling skills have been signing up to free adult ‘learn to ride’ sessions. Cycling enthusiasts can also book onto the Bike Hub’s bike maintenance sessions, all for free.
Cllr Richard Overton (Labour), Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing, Enforcement and Transport, said:
“I’m really excited about our Summer of Cycling campaign. By the end of the holidays, we’ll have taught hundreds of children to ride a bike!
“Learning to ride a bike is one of the 10 worthwhile and eye-opening activities we want local children to try and do before they are 10, as part of our ‘10 by 10’ initiative. You can find out more about other 10 by 10 activities your child can benefit from by visiting www.telford.gov.uk/10by10
“But it’s not just for kids! We’re also encouraging adults to hop on a bike, with dozens of free sessions for them too. We’ve still got a few spaces left for the adult ‘learn to ride’ training and the bike maintenance workshops.
“If you’ve missed out on the free sessions, the Bike Hub is still well worth a visit – hiring a bike or a tandem is a great way to enjoy and explore the area this summer, plus we’re offering Kids4£1 for an hour’s bike hire.”
“As a council, we want to see more people walking and cycling locally; it’s good for the environment and it’s great for our health. That’s why we’re making big investments into local cycling and walking infrastructure. But high quality cycle paths are nothing without people using them. That’s why I’m delighted to see local people embracing our Summer of Cycling campaign.”
Local parent, Daniel Thompson, said:
“These sessions have been wonderful for my daughter. She’s seven and was really keen to learn to ride. After just three of the free sessions at Telford Bike Hub, she’s cracked it and is over the moon! I’m so pleased – it means we can go out on bikes together as a family now.
“We’re looking forward to exploring more of the Town Park and will definitely be hiring bikes from the Bike Hub as it’s so handy. They’re offering Kids4£1 this summer, so we’ll be taking advantage of that!”
Watch how the children got on at their first ‘learn to ride’ sessions: https://youtu.be/MY3ZxgeMuZ8
- Find out more about bike hire at Telford Bike Hub including Kids4£1
- Book free Summer of Cycling adult ‘learn to ride’ or bike maintenance sessions
- Follow Travel Telford on Facebook to be the first to hear about future free child ‘learn to ride’ offers and keep up-to-date with local walking, cycling and public transport initiatives.
