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Sky Ride Schools Hits Ealing
Posted: 5th July 2010
On Saturday 3rd July Sky, British Cycling and Youth Sport Trust staged a Sky Ride Schools event as part of the Sixth Form Summer Fete at the Featherstone High School, Southall. Over 100 school children participated in a range of cycling activities, from skills assault courses to BMX and Wattbike sprint challenges. They also had the unique opportunity to learn from former BMX World Masterclass Champion Mike Mullen and watch him perform an awe-inspiring demonstration.
The Mayor of London's Transport Advisor, Kulveer Ranger, and Ealing Counsillor Bassam Mahfouz were there to lend their support to the day.
The Sky Ride Schools events are launching in five schools around the country and are the latest addition to the national Sky Ride campaign, which aims to encourage more people to cycle in Britain. Each school that takes part will host a cycling event for the whole school, offer led bike rides throughout the summer, and receive inspirational visits from world-class competitive cyclists.
Above: Former BMX World Masterclass Champion Mike Mullen busts some moves.
The initiative aims to help schools build on existing links, or to grow new links, with local cycling clubs giving young people a pathway into the sport. They will also encourage ongoing cycling participation by leaving a legacy of stronger club-school links and after-school cycling clubs.
Sky Ride Schools is just one element of Sky and British Cycling's wider Sky Ride initiative. Twelve Sky Ride events will take place in 10 cities across the UK this summer and each of these events will have traffic-free streets, enabling cyclists of all abilities to enjoy a day of bike-based entertainment and to explore their city on two wheels with family and friends.
The Sky Ride events take place up and down the country starting with the Mayor of London's Sky Ride Ealing, in west London on 18 July and then moving to major towns and cities across the UK: Bath and Southampton (25 July), Manchester (1 August), Middlesbrough and the Mayor of London's Sky Ride Redbridge both (15 August), Glasgow (22 August), Leicester (29 August), Bradford (29 August), Blackpool (31 August), Mayor of London's Sky Ride in central London (5 September) and Birmingham (12 September).
This year's events will build on the success of 2009, which saw over 110,000 people take part. Since last July, Sky and British Cycling's national cycling activities have encouraged almost 300,000 people to start cycling more frequently (cycling more than before Sky Ride 2009) and 92,000 of these people have become new regular cyclists (cycling at least once a month or twelve times a year)*.
Sky Ride is being backed by a line-up of celebrities and pro-cyclists this year who will be attending the events across the country. Participants will be able to ride alongside the likes of Sir Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendleton and Bradley Wiggins.
A series of Sky Ride Local events will also be taking place across the country. Trained cycle leaders from British Cycling will guide small groups of cyclists on routes in a number of the Sky Ride cities every Sunday throughout the summer. The local rides will offer a selection of routes at different levels of difficulty ranging from Ride Easy and Ride Steady for any age or ability, to Ride Well and Ride Strong for adults and teenager who want a slightly harder challenge.
People interested in Sky Ride or cycling can visit www.goskyride.com for news, information and online registration for each of the Sky Ride events. The site will also feature tips and expert advice on how to ride safely and look stylish plus views from Sky Ride's cycling ambassadors.
Get the whole family on their bikes and enjoy traffic-free streets at the Mayor of London's Sky Ride Ealing on Sunday 18 July. Register for free at www.goskyride.com
