Bikeability Plus – An Update for Schemes
Schemes may be aware of an initiative called Bikeability Plus. This is a series of 11 modules designed for Bikeability providers to use in cooperation with schools, in order to ensure that children and families are given the opportunities, skills, support and guidance that they need to make cycling part of their everyday life. This initiative has been developed in conjunction with schemes and should help Bikeability providers expand the range of services they offer.
Bikeability Plus is currently being piloted by a number of schemes across the country and this pilot phase will continue for the next few months. Once this pilot process is complete, then detailed module descriptions will be finalised and made available to all schemes via the Bikeability website (we hope that they will be available summer 2015). The detailed module descriptions will provide all the information that schemes need to deliver the modules such as: Module objectives; Pre-requisites and preparation for delivery; Target audience; Marketing; How to deliver; and Monitoring of results.
Central funding beyond the pilot of Bikeability Plus is to be confirmed and we will provide more details as soon as more is known. However local authorities may be able to identify sources of local funding which can be used to deliver one or more modules and we would encourage local authorities to consider the opportunities presented by local funding in rolling out Bikeability Plus. Furthermore, if local authorities already have aspirations to offer initiatives in any of the following areas, they may want to wait until the module descriptions have been finalised and use this centrally developed and tested approach/resources.
The 11 modules are:
- Bikeability Balance is a series of school based sessions that aims to prepare children in Reception and Year 1 with the skills that they will need to take part in Bikeability Level 1, by using games and balance bikes to develop their handling and awareness.
- The Bikeability Bus is a group ride to school for children, parents and school staff. Starting from a local focal point, such as a park or hall, the Bus may “pick up” riders along the way at pre-arranged “stops”, before reaching school.
- Bikeability Fix sessions teach Bikeability trainees how to perform basic maintenance on their bikes and, when run prior to courses, also serve to make sure that bikes are roadworthy when they are brought to training sessions.
- Bikeability Fun-Time is a way for a Scheme to provide an event where the local community can have a go at cycling in a fun, family atmosphere. The event should be structured, and focussed on ‘trying’ rather than ‘teaching’ or ‘training’. Schemes are able to create an event that reflects their size, the size of their local community and the resources available to them.
- Bikeability On Show allows parents and teachers to learn about and witness the skills that children have learnt during training. The most important outcome of this module is that parents and teachers gain a better understanding of course outcomes, and why the outcomes are taught this way.
- Bikeability Parents is Bikeability for Parents (and teachers). Since the principles and skills taught during a Bikeability course apply just as much to adults as they do to children, this is an opportunity for a Scheme to deliver its Bikeability course, slightly modified as necessary, to parents and teachers.
- Bikeability Primer sessions are for those children or family members who are unable to cycle, including those children who are ready to make the move to riding with pedals after Bikeability Balance, older children who are struggling to master the skill, or adults who have never learnt to cycle.
- Bikeability Recycled is an initiative to redistribute bikes to those in the community who do not have the resources to buy their own. By providing families with better access to bikes for children, more will take part in Bikeability and make cycling a part of their life.
- Bikeability Ride is a series of led rides along pre-determined, low traffic/traffic free routes, designed to boost confidence for a variety audiences who are new to or returning to cycling in a bid to make cycling part of their routine, such as through commuting or encouraging their children to cycle. The rides will be relatively short and focus on leisurely/pleasant/practical routes; they are not designed for sports riding or training for experienced cyclists.
- Bikeability School Award is a ‘super-module’ for Bikeability Plus that incentivises and rewards schools for taking part in Bikeability Plus modules. It can be considered as a ‘wrapper’ module for all the other modules.
- Bikeability Transition provides students moving from primary to secondary school with a planned route to cycle to their new school. The module should be delivered shortly before students are about to make the transition from primary to secondary school.