Children encouraged to saddle-up for Big Pedal schools’ challenge
Wednesday, 4 March 2020
With the support of sustainable transport charity Sustrans, we're encouraging children, teachers and parents to jump on their bikes and scooters to take part in The Big Pedal 2020.
The competition which runs from Monday 22 April to Friday 5 May is a national challenge between schools to get more young people cycling and scooting. It is free to enter and will encourage participants to leave their cars at home and choose two wheels for their school journey instead.
Councillor Ian Dalgarno, our Executive Member for Community Services, said:
This is an excellent way to promote active travel and to introduce children to cycling. Not only does this help to reduce congestion near to schools, but exercise also makes you feel good.
We are confident that 2020 will be even bigger and better than 2019, with fantastic prizes for pupils and schools not to mention the health benefits. The Big Pedal is a great way of encouraging more journeys to school to be made by bike and hopefully even more students and their families will continue to leave their car at home.
Last year, 37 schools from Central Bedfordshire took part, with families amassing 5,271 bike journeys and 13,443 trips by scooter. Last year students from our area amassed over 55,000 journeys saving parents about £39,000 in fuel during the 10-day challenge. This was a fantastic achievement and a high target to beat this year: so why not ask your child’s school to sign up to the challenge?
The Big Pedal is open to individual classes as well as whole schools, with hundreds of thousands of pupils expected to take part. Participating schools will compete with one another to make the most journeys by bike, foot or scooter. If more than 15% of their pupils’ cycle, walk or scoot on each day of the challenge, schools and classes will be entered into daily draws for rewards and prizes, including scooters.
There is also a one-day version of the challenge that includes cycling, walking and scooting activities during the school day, as well as on the journey to school.