Schools are Big Pedal challenge champions!
TWO primary school and a secondary school in Southport are North West regional winners in the Sustrans’ Big Pedal challenge, in which schools record as many bike and scooter journeys as possible over a two week period.
The Big Pedal, which ran between April 18-29 is the UK’s largest interschool cycling and scooting challenge organised by the charity Sustrans and funded by the Bike Hub.
Kew Woods Primary School in Southport won the one day challenge category for primary schools across the North West, with a score of 89% children on bikes and scoot- ers, while Stanley High School, also in Southport, won the five day challenge for secondary schools. Shoreside Primary in Southport came second place in the five day challenge.
Almost half a million (427,251) children took part in the Big Pedal in more than 1,300 schools.
In Merseyside, 32 schools took part in the challenge.
During the two weeks of the Big Pedal children in the North West cycled more than 138,000 miles, saving more than 86,000 car journeys, three million balloons of carbon dioxide and more than £17,000 in parents’ fuel costs.
They also burned a total of 2.5 million calories and travelled the equivalent of more than six times around the world.
Rosslyn Colderley, Sustrans England Director for the North said: “Congratulations to the children and staff at Kew Woods and Shoreside Primary schools, and to Stanley High School, who have put Merseyside on the map for cycling and scooting.
“They have demonstrated what a difference it makes to change their travel habits.
“For two weeks during the Big Pedal, the school gates were less dangerous, the air was cleaner and children had a healthy, fun start to the day.”