PHOTO GALLERY: More youngsters are getting on their bike in Rotherham

A PROJECT to promote cycling and scooting in Rotherham has achieved its aim of helping more people get out and about on two wheels.

Sustrans – a charity which promotes travel by foot, bike or public transport – said that its partnership with Rotherham Borough Council had seen many youngsters getting on their bikes.

The project, called Bike It, is aimed at schools and is delivered by Sustrans.

It has seen a four-fold increase in the number of children cycling in the Rotherham schools involved.

There are Bike It projects in different areas across the UK but Rotherham’s is funded by and run in partnership with the council and delivers activities and assistance to 20 schools across the district.

The Big Pedal, an annual inter-school cycling challenge, takes place this month with the aim of topping last year’s total of over 1.4 million journeys made by bike or scooter nationally.

Last year, the Big Pedal saw Rotherham winners Anston Greenlands Primary School earn a visit from champion cycle stunt rider Danny Butler.

The Big Pedal runs April 18 to April 29 and is free for all schools across the country to enter.

Will Milner, the Sustrans Bike It officer who runs the project in Rotherham, said: “It’s really satisfying to see the results.

“The schools have worked so hard to organise things and create the enthusiasm.

“When we collected our data in at the start of the project back in 2012, only 3.5 per cent of the children in these schools were regularly cycling to school. Now this has increased to 19.8 per cent.

“We’ve also seen the number of children regularly travelling by car reduce from 43.6 per cent to 29.8 per cent.

“That’s a real boost to children’s health and the environment.

“We still have a lot of work to do though, to keep helping people to gain the skills and confidence they need to cycle more and to work with our partners to make travelling under human power easier, safer and more enjoyable.”

Claire Bailey, a teacher at Laughton Junior and Infant School, said that working on the project had reaped rewards.

She said: “During the last few weeks we did Dr Bike, bike skills and then a bike ride in Clumber Park. The children have really benefited from involvement with our school.”