A new purpose-built junior roadway for children – CycloLand – has been unveiled today at Cyclopark in Gravesend, thanks to the support of British Cycling’s Places to Ride capital grants programme.
Designed to help more children learn to ride and build road safety awareness at an early age, CycloLand’s junior roadway includes working traffic lights, road signs – and even a miniature Dartford crossing.
Delivered through a unique partnership between British Cycling, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) and Sport England, the Places to Ride programme has made £15 million available to ensure a lasting legacy in England from the 2019 UCI Road World Championships. The championships took place in Yorkshire in September 2019.
The £100,000 project also received additional funding from The Kent Community Foundation, The Cyclopark Trust and The Rees Jeffreys Road Fund.
Andy Farr, Head of Business Planning and Transformation at British Cycling, added:
“All involved in this project, and indeed with the Cyclopark Charity Trust, are doing great work to show how a facility can engage a community. We are pleased to support their innovative efforts to break down many of the barriers stopping children from learning to cycle, and instead teach them to become confident road users in a friendly and safe environment.
“The project is a great example of how cycling skills can be learnt in an interactive environment, and in a way that provides a fun and enjoyable experience for the whole family.
“As we enter the final period of allocating grants through the fund, we are incredibly proud to see how it has already enabled so many people from a range of backgrounds – regardless of age, gender, ability or ethnicity – to get involved with cycling.”
A purpose-built venue for cycling and other outdoor activities such as running and extreme sports, Cyclopark is based in 43 hectares of landscaped parkland on the south side of Gravesend. Facilities include 6km of off-road mountain bike trails, a 2.9km closed road cycling circuit, a skate park, children’s playground and a 340-metre BMX track, providing opportunities for dedicated cyclists and families alike. Find out more about Cyclopark here.
For more information on the Places to Ride fund, visit www.britishcycling.org.uk/placestoride
