Swapping the car for cycling on the school run could save families £160 year – and Cycle to School Week saved £20,000 of fuel in 2021.
Schools and families across the UK are being invited to take part in the Cycle to School Week, running from 3 to 7 October 2022. Activity across the country will encourage the nation’s children to use pedal power to get to school.
Organised by The Bikeability Trust, in partnership with Sustrans, Cycle to School Week returns to encourage families and schools to celebrate cycling. Participants can choose between pledging to swap one car journey for cycling, cycle to school every day, cycle with their family or discover somewhere new on a cycle ride.
You can make your pledge on the Bikeability website and all participants will be entered into a prize draw to win a brand new Frog City 61 Bike. Schools are also encouraged to encourage their pupils to take part in the week, using presentations, activities and lesson plans created by the Bikeability Trust and Sustrans. The resources will be available throughout the year, allowing schools to continue the conversation around active travel beyond Cycle to School Week.
On average, according to Cycling UK1, just 2.2% of children cycle to school and a whopping 35.4% are driven to school. The average journey to school is just 2.4 miles.
As the cost of living crisis continues to impact families, swapping the car for a cycle is a cost-effective way to support household budgets. In total, the journeys to school pledged during Bike to School Week in 2021 saved over £20,000 of fuel2. This year, the savings could be even greater. Families who swap their daily school run in the car for pedal power could save almost £160 a year.
Pedal power saves the planet too. If just one child cycled to school instead of travelling in the car for a year, it would save almost half a tonne in carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to growing eight trees for a decade or charging 58,388 mobile phones.4 Cycling to school reduces congestion, improves air quality and makes neighbourhoods quieter and more pleasant places to live.
Children are ready to cycle to school independently once they’ve completed their Bikeability Level 2, which teaches them the skills they need to cycle confidently and safely on the roads. Children in Year 5 and Year 6 who have taken part in Bikeability should be able to cycle to school by themselves or with friends.
For more information click on this link:- Cycle to School with Bikeability this October
