School cycling and scooting competition returns

The UKs largest inter-school cycling and scooting competition, The Big Pedal, is set to return in 2015 the charity Sustrans announced.

The Big Pedal (March 2 – 20) is open to nurseries, primary and secondary schools and challenges them to compete against one another to make the most journeys to school by bike and scooter over 15 days.

Run by charity Sustrans and funded by the Bicycle Association on behalf of the cycle industry through its Bike Hub scheme, The Big Pedal has become the UK’s largest cycling and scooting competition.

Last year over 1,500 schools signed up to take part and pupils, teachers, parents, and siblings made over a million journeys (1,142,374) to school on their bikes and scooters in just 10 days.

Ben Merry, Programme Development Officer at Sustrans said: “The Big Pedal is fun, inclusive and it helps schools to encourage whole families to lead more active lives, as well as reducing car traffic and pollution around the school gates.

“Although the competition runs for three weeks, it has a lasting effect on the way that the school community travel to school; last year 76% of schools who took part in the Big Pedal said that pupils continued to cycle and scoot to school following the event.”

By signing up to The Big Pedal schools will receive a wall-chart to record their progress, whilst a range of resources designed to support schools are available in the teachers section of the Sustrans website.

Winning schools will receive prizes including bike and scooter stunt shows and equipment.

Phillip Darnton, executive director of the Bicycle Association, said: “The Big Pedal, now in its fifth year, is three weeks of fun – and a lot more besides. I hope that schools will sign up right now and be ready for The Big pedal when it starts on 2 March”.

To register your school go to: www.bigpedal.org.uk