Fancier way to learn as school children help pigeon racing take off again

PIGEON racing has long attracted an eclectic audience with Mike Tyson, Marlon Brando and members of the Royal family among the world’s most high-profile fanciers.

Now school children are taking an interest as teachers install lofts and set up clubs for their pupils.

The Royal Pigeon Racing Association (RPRA) was facing a “crisis point” after membership slipped to 20,000 last year, a decline from 60,000 in 1989.

Richard Chambers, the RPRA development officer, said schools made contact about setting up extra-curricular clubs. “We managed to open their horizons and show that pigeons are excellent for learning and development within the classroom, too,” he added.

Schools in Lancashire, Worcester and London have installed pigeon lofts.

Paul Burns, the head teacher at St Andrew’s Primary School in Oswaldtwistle, Lancs, said: “When we were racing them in summer, we were doing lots of geography and maths work, for example calculating the distance they were travelling, their speed and velocity and following them on maps. The pigeons have been really beneficial for in promoting social interaction and responsibility.”

Ian Evans, the association’s chief executive, said: “As the Government is very focused on social inclusion, we also want to help the older generations. For example, people who have retired and are experiencing loneliness.”