Santa has been rounding off another successful year for ‘Bike It’ schools by delivering his presents by bike.
Santa was spotted recently cycling to local ‘Bike It’ primary schools including Skerton St Luke’s, Willow Lane, Moorside, Bowerham and Silverdale to deliver gifts to children who cycle regularly. He also gave tips to all the children on how to be seen when cycling in the winter.
Santa was accompanied by Bike It officer elves Annie Cousins and Kathy Bashford who were rounding up a busy school term of cycling activities.
The term’s activities included a Bike It Action Day at the Borough in Lancaster, where children cycled from Ryelands and Willow Lane Primary Schools to talk to staff from 13 Bike It schools about their successes.
Throughout the term, pupils from Bike It schools across the district have enjoyed Bike It breakfasts, cycle skills sessions on the playground and Pedal Power’s Bikeability courses, as well as bike maintenance classes, school and family bike rides, and bike repairs carried out by Dr Bike (aka Colin Stone).
Also this term increasing numbers of pupils from Carnforth High were cycling to school to get a stamp on their breakfast card to earn free breakfasts. Some of them also cycled together as a ‘bike bus’ from Bolton-le-Sands.
Skerton St Luke’s took part in ‘Wheely Wednesdays’ by cycling to school every Wednesday in order to enter a prize draw. The lucky winner was presented with a brand new bike.
Through creative initiatives like Wheely Wednesdays, the Bike It project is helping over 100,000 children cycle safely to school, with levels of car use at Bike It schools across the country falling by 25%, compared to the UK average where just 2% of children cycle to school. Cycling Santa agrees that the Lancaster Bike-it kids have been very good and deserve presents!
Bike It is managed by sustainable transport charity Sustrans, with support from Lancaster City Council’s Cycling Demonstration Town Project.
For more information visit www.celebratingcycling.org