Louth Local Sports Partnership and cycling clubs roll out new course

LOUTH Local Sports Partnership and local cycling clubs collaborated to develop and roll out a ‘Learn to Cycle Programme’ across Louth as part of a programme in conjunction with CYPSC dormant account funding programme. The main aim is to increase participation among teenagers in physical activity and also to introduce cycling to help create awareness of cycling availability in Louth.

The programme was run from late March to October 2018. The lead on this programme Barry Casey the Community Sport Development Officer for Louth Local Sports Partnership and was also assisted by the Home School Liaison officers in all schools. We also enlisted the help of two cycling clubs in Louth Cuchculainn and Ardee to help with the coaching of the young people. A total of 68 students took part in this programme over 5 schools, with all students receiving a free bicycle!

The latest course that took place was at Ardee Community College, with the assistance of Sinead McCourt from Ardee Community College and Eamon Martin, owner of Wheels & Heels and member of Ardee Cycling club. The programme was run over a 4 week period within the grounds of the Ardee Community School.

The programme was free for all the participants and they also got supplied with a bike, a helmet and a padlock to lock their bike. The programme ran for four weeks in the school grounds, the students participating attended for two hours every week with Eamon from Ardee Cycling club during the school day.

The students learned basic cycling skills in relation to how to cycle safely both as individuals and in groups. They also learned how to maintain their bike and how to check it every day before they would cycle it.

The programme incorporated all elements of the learn to cycle module as designed by Cycling Ireland; these included cycling safety, cycling skills like turning, stopping, cornering and cycling in groups. The participants of the programme also got to keep their bikes after the programme, this helped some the students with their commute to school as they live locally.

The programme was completed before the Halloween midterm break, Louth Local Sport Partnership tracked the programme getting feedback from both the students and teachers. The feedback was positive and the students who participated in the programme all expressed an interested in getting involved in the cycling club in Ardee.

We might have a new Stephen Roche among these students, we’ll watch in anticipation.