British Cycling, in partnership with Nottingham City Council, have delivered ‘Learn to ride’ sessions with 96 children aged 8-11 from Stanstead Flying High Academy in Top Valley. The school has a high proportion of children who do not own or have access to bicycles.

The ‘Learn to ride’ sessions aim was to enable children to become independent cyclists and to introduce them to the cycle track at Harvey Hadden cycle hub. With the support of the teachers, each lesson was 1 hour long with 8 girls in each session over a period of 6 weeks.

The British Cycling team used the Trek bikes and helmets from the cycle hub. The first coaching session was an introduction to bikes, helmet fits, bike checks and mounting and dismounting techniques before moving into the playground and developing the balance and skills to learn to ride.

The impact has allowed children to believe in themselves and to enable them to gain confidence and enjoy the feeling of independence through cycling.

Graeme Waters, Community Coach at British Cycling said, “This has been a brilliant program of learn to ride within a safe learning environment that has changed the lives of so many young people who otherwise would have gone into adulthood without any cycling opportunity.”

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