Over 10,000 children take their first LEAP into cycling with Bikeability and Frog Bikes
1 March 2024 - News
A new generation of children is learning to cycle with Bikeability’s life-changing Get Cycling in Schools project.
Children as young as three are learning the essential skills they need to begin cycling, using hundreds of free bikes made by sustainably-conscious UK-based kids’ bike manufacturer Frog Bikes.
Get Cycling in Schools, run by Bikeability, is transforming young lives. It equips teaching staff with the skills and equipment to educate their youngest pupils on balance, gliding and pedalling.
This great project, which launched as a pilot last year, also gives schools fleets of cycles for them to keep, provided by Frog Bikes and other Bikeability partners. This helps tackle the increasing problem of many children not having access to cycles.
So far, more than 10,000 pupils, aged 3-6 years old, have taken part in the project across 400 schools, with 670 teachers trained to run the classes.
These children are embedding healthy habits early, preparing them for further Bikeability training, which equips children with vital life skills. Cycling helps children gain independence, social skills and a sense of wellbeing. After Bikeability training children are better at responding to risk and report increased confidence.
Frog Bikes has a shared vision with the Bikeability Trust to give a new generation of children the skills and confidence needed to cycle safely. Frog Bikes provides the bikes for the scheme at a reduced rate and the schools get them free from the Bikeability Trust.
The family-run business, which manufactures and designs the bikes in England and Wales, prioritises industry-leading testing, to ensure the durability and surpassing of safety standards for all Frog bikes. Additionally, they are committed to sustainability efforts aimed at reducing their environmental footprint. The bikes come in a range of sizes, are made specifically for children, with child-specific components and geometry, and are designed using ground-breaking scientific research.
Emily Cherry, Chief Executive at the Bikeability Trust, said: “I am thrilled to witness the positive impact of our Get Cycling in Schools project. This initiative is not only enhancing the delivery of Bikeability but also fostering a love for cycling from an early age. The collaboration with Frog Bikes, and their rigorously tested high-quality cycles, allows us to provide schools with fleets of cycles that they can keep for life, addressing the growing issue of limited access to cycles for many children."
“The commitment of Frog Bikes to sustainability aligns perfectly with our mission, and together, with Government support, we are making a meaningful difference in the lives of over 10,000 children across 400 schools, serving a whole generation as they learn to ride."
Jerry Lawson, Co-founder of Frog Bikes, commented:
“At Frog Bikes we believe in fostering a love for cycling from an early age, and our partnership with Bikeability aligns perfectly with this vision. By providing premium, lightweight, child-specific bikes for initiatives like the Get Cycling in Schools, we’re not only helping children learn valuable skills but instilling in them a passion for eco-friendly transport. We’re delighted to support Bikeability in their mission to get more kids on bikes, and to help create a healthier, greener future for generations to come.”
One of the many schools benefitting is Mill Hill Primary Academy, in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. Vice Principal Sarah Hulme, said“It has been fantastic to see the impact the Bikeability Get Cycling in Schools scheme, supported by Frog Bikes has had and continues to have on our children, regarding their ability and confidence to ride a two-wheeled bike. We have many of our youngest children in school now able to ride a two-wheeled bike unaided. This is a phenomenal achievement."
“The scheme continues to impact our children, as we now have a bank of different-sized bikes for all to use. Seeing other children succeeding in their ability to ride a bike unaided has spurred many of our other children on in their aspiration to do the same.”
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Gemma Lindop, one of the teachers leading the course, said“Following on from the balance bike training myself and my colleague experienced, we created an afterschool club. The children love the bikes that were provided and since beginning the club I have four children who have learned to use pedals whilst riding without any stabilisers. It has really helped children to develop their physical skills and confidence.”
Mrs Lindop added: “The Frog bikes are excellent quality and easy to use to adapt to varied heights.”
Bikeability and Frog Bikes are looking forward to the positive change that this initiative will bring in promoting cycling as a healthy, sustainable mode of transport for children at a young age.
For more information on Get Cycling in Schools, email Bikeability at: contactus@bikeability.org.uk
For more information about how Frog Bikes can support cycling in your school or organisation, email partnerships@frogbikes.com
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