SCHOOL NAME press release

For immediate release: INSERT DATE

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Pupils from SCHOOL NAME become cycling superheroes for a day

Who: Describe who is in the photo with full names and ages. Make sure you have the appropriate permissions.

What: Children at a primary school in [Add location] dressed up as superheroes to raise money for UK walking and cycling charity Sustrans. The fundraising day is part of The Big Pedal 2017, an inter-school cycling and scooting competition for primary and secondary schools.

When: Add event date

Where: Add event location

Quote: A snappy quote from the head teacher/ cycling champion

About The Big Pedal

The Big Pedal 2017 is a national challenge designed to encourage more young people to cycle and scoot to school, backed by double Olympic gold medallist cyclist Joanna Rowsell Shand.

The Big Pedal 2017, which ran from Monday 20 to Friday 31 March, saw children, parents and teachers across the UK to leave their cars at home and get on their bikes and scooters for their journeys to and from school.

Powered by national walking and cycling charity Sustrans and funded by the Bicycle Association on behalf of the cycle industry through its Bike Hub scheme, The Big Pedal is the UK’s largest competition of its kind.

During the 10 days participating primary and secondary schools competed with one another to make the most journeys by bike or scooter.

This year’s theme was ‘Around the world in 10 days’, with pupils tracking their progress on a map of the world, learning about the countries and cities they passed through on their way.

Joanna Rowsell Shand is supporting The Big Pedal for the second year running.

One of the best British cyclists of her generation, Joanna has won five world titles across individual and team events and gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.

She said: “Cycling is great for young people’s health, confidence and independence. The safer and more comfortable they feel on their bikes, the more they will enjoy cycling.

“The Big Pedal campaign is a fantastic way for kids to cycle together whilst learning about the rules of the road in a fun, engaging way. I hope this year as many schools as possible will take part in the UK’s largest school cycling and scooting event.”

The proportion of children walking and cycling to school has been declining in England since 1995, with the number being driven to primary school increasing each year - as many as one in four cars on the road during the morning peak are on the school run (1).

Children in the UK now lag far behind their peers in other nations for active travel. Only about 2-3% of UK children cycle to school compared to 49% of all Dutch primary school children (2).

Last year more than 1,500 schools signed up to take part and teachers, parents, siblings and pupils made more than a million journeys (1,179,900) to school on their bikes and scooters.

Ben Merry, Behaviour Change Coordinator for Education at Sustrans, said: “The average primary school journey isjust 1.6 miles – the perfect distance to walk or cycle.

“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 two weeks, it has a lasting effect on the way that the school community travel to school - last year 75% of schools that took part in the Big Pedal said pupils continued to cycle and scoot to school following the event.”

For more information about The Big Pedal 2017 visit www.bigpedal.org.uk

Follow us:

Twitter @sustrans #bigpedal

Facebook https://en-gb.facebook.com/Sustrans

ENDS

For more information, images and interviews please contact:

NAME, TITLE, SCHOOL

Telephone: XXXX E-mail: XXXX

·  INSERT DETAILS ABOUT SCHOOL

·  1) Department for Transport (2014) National Travel Survey 2014. (England) https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/457752/nts2014-01.pdf

·  (2) Aldred, R. (2015) Adults’ attitudes towards child cycling: a study of the impact of infrastructure. European Journal of Transport and Infrastructure Research http://rachelaldred.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Cycling-and-children-revising-final-de-anonymised.pdf

·  Sustrans is the charity that’s enabling people to travel by foot, bike or public transport for more of the journeys we make every day. It’s time we all began making smarter travel choices. Make your move and support Sustrans today www.sustrans.org.uk.

·  Sustrans provide free information for schools, parents, pupils, councils and anybody else interested in school travel initiatives. To find out more visit http://www.sustrans.org.uk/our-services

·  Sustrans is a registered charity no. 326550 (England and Wales) SCO39263 (Scotland).

·  Bike Hub is a voluntary levy scheme organized by the Bicycle Association to raise money to safeguard the future of cycling.Participants, including major UK bike brands and more than 1,000 independent bike dealers, contribute to a fund which raises between £300,000 and £400,000 per year. This is invested in major cycling projects run by national charities to encourage more children to cycle safely and often.