Cycle loan scheme brings benefits to Ellon and Inverurie
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Pupils at Ellon Academy and Kellands Primary in Inverurie have been getting on their bikes thanks to cycle loan scheme which was piloted at the schools.
A fleet of state-of-the-art bicycles as well as safety equipment such as helmets were made available for pupils to borrow on a short or long-term basis.
A report on activity from August to December of 2022 will be discussed by councillors this week and shows that at Ellon -
Ellon Academy pupils took part in Bike Fest, an engaging day, with multiple activities delivered, Dr Bike, ramps
and skills sessions, and inter-house static bike race.
The school bike fleet is being on a regular basis on days the Access to Bike officer is not present at the school.
They have had 25 bikes on loan to date and the school is keen to implement a more means tested way of issuing the loan bikes and currently two bikes from the project have been loaned to a local all ability bikes groups.
Working with other local organisations they have also been donated a number of second hand bikes that they are checking over and passing on to a teacher at the school who has refugees staying with them that are in need of transport.
At Kellands Primary -
They held a Dr Bike session where they safety check pupils own bikes.
The Access to Bikes project currently has approximately 26 bikes on loan to pupils, six of those are additional to those that had bikes last year, the remaining ones are a continuation, which the school are keen to maintain.
Four P7 pupils with loan bikes have been identified as potential for “gifting”.
The project has been made aware that local SEN school in Inverurie St Andrews wishes to undertake Bikeability for the first time and working with tthe Council’s Bikeability Coordinator.
Officers are in the process of trying to arrange loaning some bikes to the school short term from the project to facilitate this.
It was also noted that a mini fleet (14) of bikes is set to be delivered to primary pupils in Kintore alongside storage and helmets, though it is not identified which of the two schools (Midmill/Kintore) this will be at.
