Bike It in Thurrock
Katie van Dop - Bike It officer
Watch a clip of Katie's Bike It in action.
Contact Katie: Bike It officer, Thurrock Council, Civic Offices, New Road, Grays, Thurrock, Essex RM17 6SL
Tel: 07810 808 554 (mob) or email: katie.van-dop@sustrans.org.uk
Katie joined Sustrans in June 2009
"I am Dutch-Canadian and grew up in the Netherlands, where cycling is a way of life. The young and the old cycle absolutely everywhere and, well. It's hard to imagine the Netherlands without seeing bicycles everywhere you look. When I started cycling into work in London about four years ago on my big Dutch bike, I hardly saw any other cyclists, which shocked me. My colleagues were equally shocked that I cycled to work - which I found just as surprising! Ever since, my mission has been to encourage people around me to cycle, and to tell them about the benefits it brings. It's good for the environment, your pocket and, most importantly, it makes you feel great! I used to fundraise and raise awareness for Sustrans across London, while teaching English and acting as tour guide to international students in Greenwich."
Katie's schools for 2011/12:
- Aveley Primary School
- Chadwell St Mary Primary School
- Herringham Primary School
- Quarry Hill Primary School
- Shaw Primary School
- St Mary's Catholic Primary School
- Stanford-le-Hope Primary School
- Stifford Clays Junior School
- Thameside Junior School
- West Thurrock Primary School
- Woodside Primary School
- Bonnygate Primary
- The Gateway Academy
- Orsett C of E Primary
- Deneholm Primary
- Dilkes Primary
- Purfleet Primary
What's Katie up to?
Bike It Katie has been working hard on creating a positive, sustainable pro-cycling culture in Thurrock. Cycling levels are definitely increasing and more and more people want to get involved with the free services provided to the schools and the school community.
Schools have started setting up Bike It Breakfasts for parents and pupils cycling into school.
Katie has helped make cheap bike accessory sales possible. She does this by buying in essential Bike accessories e.g. Puncture repair kits, Helmets, Locks, lights and more for wholesale prices and selling them for almost half of those wholesale prices. The money raised with that will be returned to the Bike It funding so that more cheap sales can be held at other schools. They have proved very popular with helmets being sold for £3.00 each! A true bargain. One kid even complained to their parent, “Hey Mom can I have a helmet? Everybody has one now!”
Katie works closely together with Cycles UK Grays in providing free Bike Safety checks to the value of £35 per bike. This will be ongoing.
Bike It has given away many cycles UK vouchers from the values of £10 to £100 during competitions as well as many essential bike accessories and loads of Sustrans Goodies.
My main focus this last term was emphasizing safe cycling during the winter months. And therefore I did many High Vis/ Reflective promotions, helmet promotions, teaching bike checks, and making them aware of other things to help protect them or look out for when cycling in the rain, cold and snow.
There will be another Big Pedal competition where schools will be competing with each other. And Pupils can aim to become Sustrans Heroes by setting themselves bike-tastic aims and tasks.
I would like to remind people that I offer free Learn2Cycle sessions for all ages, so if you want to get back in the saddle and start pedalling please do not hesitate to email me.