The Programme, which utilises the Community Cycling Fund linked to last year's 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow and across Scotland. 187 pupils enjoyed the sessions in the sunshine led by our Bringing the bike to you coaching team and several pupils, who were unable to cycle or needed a confidence boost, heading home with some new skills and that confidence boosts in place!
The session was focused on P4-P7 pupils and provided each class with an experience focused on balance, confidence, and skills. The visit also saw nursery pupils receive a loaned set of balance bikes and early pedal bikes as part of a new programme of support via Live Life Outdoors and Early Years to nursery settings across Aberdeenshire, aimed at settings that don’t have access to early-stage bikes.
We were also delighted to welcome Councillor Anne Stirling as Chair of the Communities Committee and Deputy Leader of Aberdeenshire Council, along with Ward members Councillors Andrew Hassan, Jenny Nicol and Paul Johnston, to watch the sessions taking place and observe one example of how Live Life Aberdeenshire on behalf of the council has been utilising the final year of funding from the Community Cycling Fund.
Pre Summer in Term 4 also saw several Cycle Schools taking place at Forgue and Largue, Catterline and Kinneff and Crathes Primary Schools ensuring that just under 1000 pupils will have benefitted from the funded sessions since 2022/23, with the schools taking part having been selected by their local Active Schools Coordinators, ensuring that this programme was evenly spread out across the authority.
Further details about the cycling programme can be found at Bringing the Bike to You.
Photo: Right to left back row- Councillor Andrew Hassan, Councillor Jenny Nicol, Councillor Anne Stirling, and Councillor Paul Johnston .
Front row - Balmedie Head Teacher Douglas Ford with some of the nursery pupils receiving the loaned Balance Bikes and Early Pedal Bikes.