Whitchurch Primary school in Cardiff is excelling when it comes to active travel and cycling achievements. The school is celebrating an impressive achievement this week, having successfully achieved Sustrans Cymru’s Silver Active Travel School Award.
Pupils at Whitchurch Primary School enjoying Fusion Extreme's stunt display as a prize for their Silver Active Travel School Award success.
The Active Travel School Award
Whitchurch Primary is celebrating an impressive achievement this week, having successfully achieved Sustrans Cymru’s Silver Active Travel School Award.
The award highlights the schools commitment to promoting active and sustainable travel to bring about organisational, cultural and behavioural changes which help the school community choose active travel for the school run.
Achievements include:
- active travel-themed challenges
- a 20% increase of pupils travelling to school actively or sustainably
- providing safe, secure cycle and scooter storage, supplied by Cardiff Council
On Monday, an awards event took place with guests including Julie Morgan MS, Sustrans Cymru’s director Christine Boston and Cardiff Council’s Active Travel representative, Naomi Marshallsea.
The difference active travel can make
Sustrans Cymru Director, Christine Boston reflects on the school's success:
"Collecting an Active Travel School Silver Award is a fantastic achievement and is a testament to the hard work and determination of all involved at Whitchurch Primary School.
"Supporting and encouraging children to travel actively to school is not only great for them, but it has an impact on the wider school community too.
"And inspires others to follow their lead.
"The difference active travel can make, should not be underestimated as it can help to form positive travel habits for future life.
"Whilst the school and pupils have rightly enjoyed a celebration of their success, I know it doesn’t stop here and look forward to seeing them progress to their Gold award."
As a prize for their hard work and dedication, over 600 pupils within their class bubbles enjoyed an outdoor bike stunt demonstration by the talented Fusion Extreme.
Fusion Extreme’s display is designed to grab the children’s attention.
It incorporates the amazing stunts with positive messages encouraging children to stay healthy and active.
A committed school community
Dedicated parents and children regularly walk, wheel, scoot or cycle the school run, helping to reduce pollution on school streets and in the wider community.
Further benefits include improved physical health and well-being amongst the pupils, for happier and healthier children.
Whitchurch Primary have been part of the Active Journeys Programme since September 2020, and have shown a huge commitment to active travel.
Support from their designated Active Journeys Officer means that Whitchurch has completed an ambitious plan of active travel-themed activities to meet the silver award criteria.
A key achievement is the ‘On Your Bike’ project as part of an Erasmus scheme.
Whitchurch Primary joined forces with Radnor Primary school as exemplar cycle schools in Wales, with exchange visits to different countries across Europe including Portugal and Finland.
Support from Cardiff Council
Active travel at Whitchurch Primary School has also been supported by providing secure bike storage and pupil bike fleets, delivered by Cardiff Council.
Transforming Cardiff into a cleaner, greener city
Cllr Caro Wild, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport said:
"Cardiff’s 10-year transport vision for the city sets out ambitious plans to transform active travel and public transport in Cardiff with the aim of reducing congestion, improving air quality and combatting the ongoing problems of climate change.
"Traffic impact from daily school runs places heavy pressure on the city’s road network.
"And our dedicated Active Travel School team continue working closely with schools to encourage families to change their school travel behaviours.
"The efforts from Whitchurch Primary School have been outstanding and I hope that more schools will follow suit.
"By identifying the key issues or barriers faced by children travelling actively, we can move closer to realising Cardiff’s ambitions to becoming a cleaner, greener city.
Get involved
If your school would like to work towards earning a bronze, silver and gold Active Travel School award, please sign up here: Sustrans Active Travel School Award.
Applications are now open to be part of Sustrans Cymru’s Active Journey Programme starting in September.
Apply now to get support for creating a culture that makes it easier for children to walk, wheel, scoot or cycle.
