Dame Sarah Storey champions school cyclists with biker breakfast on World Bike Day

Active Travel Commissioner, Dame Sarah Storey, was one of the many attendees cycling into today’s biker breakfast at Wright Robinson College in Gorton – a pupil-led initiative organised to mark World Bike Day.

The college, which is located close to the Fallowfield Loop and is part of the National Cycle Network, has seen a steady increase in pupils cycling and walking to school in recent months, with double the number of pupils cycling to school compared to the UK average. 12% of the pupils now choose to champion pedal power and make their way on two wheels. In addition to this, 50% of pupils walk, making active travel the most popular mode of transport by far.

Every day around 460,000 pupils travel to over 1,200 schools and further education establishments across the city-region. By choosing to walk, cycle or wheel, children and young people can improve their health and wellbeing, as well as helping reduce traffic in their local area. In peak drop off and pick up times between 8-9am and 3-4pm, almost half of trips in Greater Manchester are education related.

To mark World Bike Day, a free biker breakfast was put on for students cycling to school – an initiative pitched by pupils as part of Transport for Greater Manchester’s Youth Travel Ambassadors scheme - with the school receiving a financial award from TfGM to enable the event and a Dr Bike maintenance workshop to happen.

Dame Sarah Storey was given a tour of the bike storage facilities, which are often at capacity each morning, with more and more young people choosing to bike into school. At the breakfast Dame Sarah heard about many of their experiences cycling to school, as well as their love of getting moving in the fresh air.

Active Travel Commissioner Dame Sarah Storey said: 

“I was inspired to visit Wright Robinson College to celebrate World Bicycle Day after hearing their pitch at the Youth Travel Ambassador conference earlier this year. Their passion for increasing the number of active journeys to school was very inspiring and we have many children here who could have a future in transport if they wish.

“I very much enjoyed their event this morning and was delighted to hear the difference that cycle storage is making as well as the connectivity to the Fallowfield Loop. As with every visit I make, I was keen to hear what else will help improve journeys to school and so my team and I will be taking those things away and working to find solutions."

Martin Haworth, Executive Headteacher at Wright Robinson College, added:

“We want to increase the number of students who cycle, and the support from the Youth Travel Ambassador program is helping us achieve this goal. We have developed numerous initiatives that contribute to our progress, and we are extremely proud of what we have accomplished to date.

“We are continuously working to improve active travel to Wright Robinson. It is important to encourage physical activity when possible and to play our part in supporting the community by reducing the traffic in the local area where possible.

“Cycling has a significant positive impact on our students, as it promotes independence, encourages physical exercise, and enhances their overall well-being.”

Transport for Greater Manchester is committed to enabling more people to walk, wheel and cycle as part of their day-to-day journeys, including travelling to school. The number of School Streets in Greater Manchester is set to increase to 60 in the next year, as part of a wider programme to boost the number of children walking, wheeling and cycling to school.

To date, 130km of Bee Network standard segregated walking, wheeling and cycling routes have been completed across the city-region. Working alongside local authorities and partners, by 2027 this is expected to reach 176km.

Planned future works include building a network of connected routes known as a strategic cycle network. These networks will link up or extend routes on the existing cycle network, aligning with neighbourhood improvements to connect local communities to the rest of the Bee Network.