Cycle qualification for parents
Call to help training in Perthshire schools
Staying safe on your cycle has been highlighted by Perthshire adventurer Mark Beaumont, who continues to clock up the miles in a bid to get round the world in 80 days.
Today is Day 59 for the long distance cyclist, who with more than 13,000 miles behind him, has made it to Alberta, Canada. And this is despite wearing his pedal off, a pothole pitfall in Russia and the rear-ending of his support bus in Australia.
And Bikeability Scotland - the scheme which seeks to teach kids two-wheeled confidence and road safety - has put out a call for more people in Perth and Kinross to get involved.
Without volunteers, Bikeability Level 2, a modern version of the cycle proficiency course, cannot be offered in every school.
Currently 37 schools out of around 90 get involved in sessions on bike mastery, sustainable travel, wellbeing and environmental awareness through Bikeability Scotland.
Mark Beaumont sent a message from his global cycle attempt: “Well done to Bikeability Scotland in training volunteers and parents to assist in their sessions within Perthshire schools. Please get in touch with Bikeability to join their team and support this great initiative to keep cycling safe and fun for all.”
Bridge of Earn’s Dunbarney Primary has been highlighted as a great advertisement for the scheme, with sessions regularly teaching pupils how to stay safe on roads.
Hamish Lees, Bikeability coordinator and PKC safer community warden, urgently wants to increase the number of schools offering the scheme and is trying to encourage more people to get the free training to help deliver Bikeability.
“On-road training is great fun and very rewarding, however the trainer-to-pupil ratios required mean that we need as many volunteers as possible to assist.”
Hamish explained that Perth and Kinross Council is running a number of cycle training assistant courses in schools for volunteers to receive Cycle Scotland’s nationally accredited qualification.
“Those who do this get a SQA as a cycle training assistant. Once that person does the training, Pupils from Dunbarney Primary School enjoy a Bikeability scheme session which it is aimed will reach more schools they can do Bikeability training at schools year after year.
“We really want parents to consider staying on to help, even after their children have moved on from the school.”
For more information, contact HLEES@pkc.gov.uk or phone 01738 476173.