Bike Club - helping young people gear up

Lizzie Evered runs the South West's Bike Club scheme, a project working with Cycling City to get more inactive young people out on their bikes outside of school hours. This week Lizzie wrote to tell us what Bike Club have been up to recently:

"Last weekend (May 22-23 2010) Bike Club gave the opportunity for six leaders in Bristol to get training to help them lead groups of young people in cycling activities.

"The weekend couldn’t have been better, with practical skills sessions enabling us to get out and about in Bristol's great cycling resource – Leigh Woods and Ashton Court Estate, as well as exploring route 41 of the national cycle network, which runs out of the city alongside the River Avon.

"The trainees learnt the ins and out of health and safety procedures and best practice on Friday evening, before heading out on cycle trails on Saturday and Sunday.

"Practical leadership skills were developed, including what to do in various mechanical and medical emergencies, as well as some mountain bike coaching and people management techniques.

"The courses were part of the CTC’s off-road leadership courses. Bike Club also encourages leaders to to train to be Bikeability instructors, take part in coaching qualifications or on road group riding courses."