03 January 2011

Pupils turn to pedal power get to school
CHILDREN from secondary schools across South Wales are leading a campaign to encourage youngsters to walk and cycle to lessons.

Sustainable transport charity Sustrans organised a conference at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay to highlight the issue.

From there, students cycled to St David's Hall in the city centre to launch their new short film with Cardiff council's executive member for transport, Delme Bowen.

Bishop of Llandaff High School in Cardiff has worked alongside Maesteg Comprehensive and St Cenydd School in Caerphilly to produce a pilot activity week that will run in 10 schools across Wales in January.

Sustrans has worked closely with 10 pupils per school to put together a scheme of activities to encourage children, aged between 11 and 18, to cycle to school.

The three groups of children have managed different areas of the project including marketing, policy and influencing.

Sustrans project co-ordinator Liz Thorne said: "I've been really impressed with the dedication that these pupils have shown throughout the project and support from schools has been incredible."

The project has been funded by Sport Wales with support from Welsh Assembly Government.

Sustrans hopes the pilot's success will see the new project rolled out to hundreds of secondary schools across Wales in the future.

Councillor Bowen said: "Cycling is a really healthy way of getting around and can also be an enjoyable and quick way of travelling.

"Its encouraging to see the commitment of these pupils in conveying the importance of walking or cycling to school and the positive effect it can have on people's health and the environment."

Sustrans works with 18 schools in Cardiff as part of the city council's Sustainable Travel City initiative to help children overcome whatever it is that is preventing them from cycling to school.

Participating schools across England have seen levels of cycling treble within a year.

The result firmly bucks the trend of declining numbers of children cycling to school.

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