Newmarket College's Cycle2College Initiative Week

The aim of the College's initiative was to promote healthy living, be environmentally friendly and include road safety all by cycling to school.   During the planning stages, we were made aware that a new cycle route was planned for the town.   This allowed us to synchronise our initiative with the opening and give us a focal point for the activities.

After initial discussions with the college leadership it was decided to hold a formal meeting with interested parties, funding partners and official bodies.   The meeting was attended by the following organisations;

• Suffolk County Council Road Safety
• Forest Heath district Council
• Schools Police Liaison
• Schools Sports Partnership
• Newmarket Community Leisure
• Revel Outdoors Cycle Shop

We promoted the project in various different ways:

• Using Every Child Matters - targeting pupil's emotional, physical and mental wellbeing.
• Safety awareness.
• Looking at the environment we live in.
• Competitions within pupils coloured houses.
• PE department purchasing mountain bikes to enthuse students who may not run, but would possibly be prepared to cycle instead.

For one week we dedicated tutor and lunch times to the cycle2college project.

Tutor times were spent working through lesson packs supplied by HEADSMART, the bicycle helmet initiative trust www.BHIT.org. These included questionnaires, DVD's, and a demonstration of the importance of helmet safety using an egg helmet.

The lunchtime activities ran as follows:

Monday - M.A.D  - Helmet and road safety.
Each year group was invited to watch an outdoor workshop.   This included a demonstration of stunt cycling, and placed a heavy emphasis on the need for protective equipment, especially helmets.   This was the only cost incurred during the week, and was funded by the School Sport Partnership.   Total costs were £850 + V.A.T .
www.m-a-d.co.uk

Tuesday - SUSTRANS - safe cycle routes - sustainable travel   
A talk was given to pupils about the environmental implications of continual car usage and how cycling can benefit not only the environment but also their personal health. There was also a talk about the cycle path network and the new route planned to run alongside the college.   Leaflets were distributed amongst those in attendance.
www.sustrans.org.uk

Wednesday - Cycle security/safety - Suffolk County Council/Police
Focus was placed upon security for this session.   Every pupil was offered the chance to have their cycle security tagged.   In addition, clarification was given in regards to the law regarding lights, cycling on pavements etc.   Quizzes were conducted to gauge pupil's awareness of safety and security issues.

Thursday - Cycle maintenance - Revel Outdoors    
Revel Outdoors offered advice on cycle maintenance, and provided a free bike safety checking service on the day.   They also donated a £50 voucher for a prize draw.
www.reveloutdoors .co.uk

Friday - Prize giving assembly
Throughout the week, various questionnaires and quizzes were filled out by the pupils.   We had lock and light sets donated by the Police Liaison officer and these were given out randomly to those who had participated in the competitions.   The £50 voucher donated by Revel Outdoors was given to the pupil adjudged to have shown the most commitment to benefitting from the workshops.

At the beginning of the year we sent questionnaires to students and parents to find out what stops them/their children from cycling to College. The majority of questionnaires returned implicated the lack of security within the College grounds, and also road safety. In the last 6 months the College has been conversing with Sustrans (sustainable travel) and Suffolk County Council (road safety officers) regarding the issues raised and we can now announce the opening of a new cycle route, Route 51, which runs directly outside the College. We have also received confirmation of our school travel plan grant for security.  

We will be receiving up to £7,750 to buy:

• Security bike sheds  
• Cycle racks  
• Cycle helmet security  

Over the next year our aim as a College is to reduce the amount of car usage and increase cycling/walking to/from College by 5%.