Riding Ahead: Cycle Confidence, Skills and Safety in Tower Hamlets
Life is changing for residents and workers in Tower Hamlets, who are increasingly discovering the delights of cycling – whether as a means of travel, for good health, or just for fun. The borough is continuing its drive to support cyclists and encourage more adults and children to develop the confidence to discover the benefits. It’s been almost a year since Tower Hamlets launched their Get Out, Get Active scheme – an ongoing community travel planning project in partnership with Sustrans – which has so far transformed the lives of more than 50 women, through the ‘Oceans 12’ initiative (as featured in Cycle Lifestyle issue 3).
A range of other initiatives are also gathering momentum, with a particular focus on getting children cycling to school. Bike It, managed by the borough’s School Travel Adviser John Rymell, is a scheme that provides cycle training to pupils with the aim of creating new cyclists, and involves parents in the process of training and encouraging their children to travel to school by bike. Schools can also become responsible for their own cycle training, by training two members of staff to become instructors. This will enable cycle training to become sustainable for the future in every school.
“This would ensure that every pupil has had onroad cycle training by the age of 11, and enable us to offer much more support and provide resources to schools to embed cycling in the whole school community,” Rymell explains. “Children usually have six hours’ instruction for each of the three Bikeability levels. Part of the Bike It approach is to make teachers and parents aware of how rigorous the course requirements are, and encourage parents to cycle with their children.”
And that’s only the start. The borough’s All Ability Cycling Clubs (AACC), which take place on alternate Saturdays in Victoria Park, provide free cycle training to adults of all ages and backgrounds, offering an informal, social environment where members can cycle together in safe, traffic-frewe surroundings for health, fitness and fun. Bicycles, helmets and a range of other equipment (including scooters, trikes, tandems and wheelchair cycles) are provided and the sessions are run completely free of charge.
Tower Hamlets is the only London borough to be awarded ‘Healthy Borough’ status, part of the Government’s Change 4 Life initiative. If you want to enjoy life sitting down, call Tower Hamlets Active Travel on 020 7364 6707 or 020 7364 6918 www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/cycling