Up to 69,400 cars will be taken off the roads across England next week as over 510 schools and 150,000 pupils commit to cycling to school as part of Cycle to School Week 2024 from Monday 23 September to Friday 27 September.
Cycle to School Week aims to promote and celebrate cycling as a healthier and planet-friendly mode of transport. It encourages families to swap their car pedals for cycle pedals on the school run and offers various pledges that the public can take part in.
Pledges range from committing to cycling to school every day during Cycle to School Week to discovering somewhere new on a cycle, swapping one car journey for cycling, or going on a family cycle ride.
“Building a positive attitude toward cycling early on sets the stage for lifelong participation. Cycle to School Week is a perfect chance to get kids excited about cycling, boost their road safety confidence, and show them how cycling benefits their health and the planet. Plus, it can inspire parents to embrace the alternative travel options we urgently need. On a broader level, we need the UK to match the cycling culture of the Netherlands, which requires bold, systemic change and record investment.” Emily Cherry, Chief Executive, The Bikeability Trust.
Earlier this year, research from Green Energy UK showed that 140 million unnecessary emissions are caused by driving to and from schools nationwide–enough annual CO2 to cover over 81,000 people in the UK’s annual emissions.
South East London and Birmingham have a high concentration of Cycle to School Week pledges this year—5,800 pupils and 5,000 pupils, respectively.
Lewisham, in South East London, was home to Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah–the first person in the UK to have air pollution recognised as a factor in her death. And Birmingham remains one of the UK’s cities with the highest air pollution levels. Over 1,000 deaths a year in Birmingham alone are attributed to air pollution, caused mainly by road transport and the increased use of diesel vehicles.
With Labour’s current £22bn black hole, the UK government estimates that for every £1 spent on cycling and walking schemes in the UK, £5.62 worth of benefits are achieved on average. This makes schemes like Cycle to School Week crucial as Britain builds for a resilient future against the economic and public health threats of the cost-of-living crisis, climate change, and long-term impacts of obesity on the NHS.
“There is a real buzz in the air as it’s our first year participating in Cycle to School Week, and our Laudato Si Leaders are on a mission to make our school more sustainable and are promoting ways we, as a school and a local community, can make changes for the better. We recently installed new bike racks and secure gates to promote cycling to school as a lifelong skill. This will improve our pupils’ and their families’ health and wellbeing while teaching them that we are all responsible for making small changes to care for our common home.” Molly Dorsett, Assistant Principal, St. Mark’s Catholic Primary School in Great Barr, Birmingham
“As a school, we are fully invested in sustainable education and participate in Cycle to School Week every year. The children love being able to do this, and occasionally, we get some parents joining in, too! We are always looking for as many ways as possible for our children to develop knowledge and understanding of the impact we are all having on our planet. Initiatives such as Cycle to School Week allow us to teach the children about the many physical development, health, wellbeing, environmental, and traffic congestion reduction benefits of cycling or scooting to school. We hope these small changes in behaviour will lead to a lifelong love of cycling and a deeper understanding of how each child can make a difference in the world’s future, which we are here to steward for future generations.” Pauline David, Head Teacher, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Birmingham
“I love biking, especially mountain biking and downhill racing. Biking to school is really good as it gives me extra time on my bike every day and gives me exercise before school.” 10-year-old Rupert, Peak District
Bikeability is the government’s national cycle training programme, funded by Active Travel England, based on the Government’s National Standards for Cycle Training. It provides cycling training from qualified expert instructors for all experience levels across England. To date, over five million children have gained the practical skills, understanding, and confidence to cycle on roads nationwide due to The Bikeability Trust.
To register to pledge and participate in Cycle to School Week, visit bikeability.org.uk/cycletoschoolweek.
