Schools across the UK are being invited to take part in the 2019 Bike to School Week, which takes place next month.
Organised by Sustrans and supported by the Bikeability Trust, Bike to School Week celebrates the benefits of travelling actively for children.
The 2019 edition, which uses the hashtag #BikeToSchoolWeek on social media, takes place between 23-27 September.
There is a range of resources available to support schools, including posters, a five-day pack of daily activities and a video guide with simple tips to check a bike is safe to ride.
These activities aim to inspire pupils to think about their journeys to school, understand the benefits of active travel, and consider the causes and effects of air pollution.
Figures show that only 2% of primary school children in England currently travel to school by cycle. This is in stark contrast to cycling levels elsewhere, such as in the Netherlands, where 49% of primary school children ride to school.
Sustrans says these figures suggest more needs to be done in the UK to make cycling an easy, safe, and appealing option for travelling to school.
Xavier Brice, CEO at Sustrans, said: “Bike to School Week is a great way to show the benefits of cycling to school for children across the UK and to promote the positive impact that an active lifestyle can have on children’s wellbeing and overall health.
“We’re calling on schools across the country to take part, use the new resources and inspire children and parents to travel actively to school.”
Paul Robison, CEO at the Bikeability Trust, said: “Bike to School Week is an excellent chance for children who have done their Bikeability training to put their skills into practice and so develop longer-term cycling habits for the future.
“They can then go on to explore not only the trip to and from school, but also around their neighbourhoods to meet friends, go to the swimming pool, or nip down to the shops.
“We also hope that Bike to School Week will encourage schools to offer more cycle training to children who have not yet had the chance to gain this essential life-skill of being able to cycle competently.”
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