Jakir, a PE teacher based in Tower Hamlets, speaks to Sustrans about the obstacles to cycling children in his area face, and how his primary school, in collaboration with Sustrans, is supporting children to walk, wheel and cycle more. According to our latest Walking and Cycling Index, just 32% of Tower Hamlets residents think the level of safety for children cycling is good in their area.
"Training and also having fun on a bike is so important to do in those early years. It sets you up for life." Credit: Kois Miah/Sustrans
Concerns about theft and cycle storage
Jakir’s pupils at Old Ford Primary Academy have benefited from free cycles, cycle training and workshops as part of Sustrans’ Bike It project.
This work is particularly important as, according to Jakir, children and young people in Tower Hamlets face a lot of obstacles when it comes to cycling. He explained:
“Where we live there are lots of barriers which get in the way of people cycling, space is one thing.
“There are worries about theft which is linked in with that.
“Where are people going to store their bikes if they have no space inside their homes?
“I used to have a bike and I knew for sure that if I left it locked up outside overnight it would be gone in the morning."
Our latest Walking and Cycling Index (2023) has revealed that 78% of Tower Hamlets residents agree more measures to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour on the street or in public spaces would improve their local area.
Jakir continued:
“I don’t have any space to store a bike at home.
"I kept getting told I'd be fined for leaving it in the building I live in. I felt like I had no choice on where I could store it.
“It’s a shame, I ended up giving the bike away to a friend who has spare to store it securely.
"If there were more available places to securely lock your bike in public, I think that would encourage more people to cycle and to invest in a bike."
The importance of encouraging children to cycle or wheel
“People also don’t feel safe on bikes around here as a lot of locals haven’t had cycle training before.
"If parents haven't had any cycle experience or training in their life then these fears around being on a bike naturally gets passed down to their kids.
"Some parents don’t understand the benefits of cycling. And having a bike in the first place isn’t easy financially.
“This is why training and also having fun on a bike is so important to do in those early years. It sets you up for life.
“As a school, it’s so important for us to keep encouraging and motivating kids and their parents to cycle and walk more. Being active has such a positive impact on mental and physical health - which is beneficial for learning too.
"You have to have the fun side of it to keep them interested and keen to get on a bike time and time again.
“The Bike It project has been brilliant; we’ve seen an increase in pupils riding their bikes to school.
“The kids who are involved in cycle sessions when they’re in reception then go into Year 1 and continue riding their bike to school.
“The project has really made a difference.
"We'd love to keep on collaborating with Sustrans."
Jakir’s pupils at Old Ford Primary Academy have benefited from free cycles, cycle training and workshops as part of Sustrans’ Bike It project. Credit: Kois Miah/Sustrans
Shifting attitudes towards travelling actively
"Most of the time people walk, especially since Covid, but a lot of people will drive too as it’s often the easy option.
"If there were clear cycle lanes separating bikes from traffic then more people would have the confidence to cycle.
"We're always trying to figure out ways that we support parents and get the motivation going to walk and cycle.
"We also trying to work with the local community, council and Youth Sport Trust to get people moving and cycling more.
"It’s going to take time to change people attitudes and opinions but we’re slowly getting there.
"I think travelling actively is so important – the Government and local organisations need to make it a priority.
"Everyone needs to start working with the younger age groups, if we want to see them cycling more and feeling motivated.
"If we work with nursery and Year 1 pupils when they go into Year 3 and Year 4 – they’ll have the confidence to ride a bike. It's then like second nature.
"I definitely feel optimistic about the future in terms of more kids cycling
"You can see the kids are excited and happier when they cycle to school.
"You see them showing their friends their bike in the morning with massive smiles on their faces."
According to our latest Walking and Cycling Index, 64% of Tower Hamlets residents support shifting investment from road building schemes to fund walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport.
The Walking and Cycling Index 2023
This study of 23 urban areas supports leaders of cities and towns to understand and improve walking, wheeling and cycling across the UK and Ireland.
The Walking and Cycling Index 2023 is the clearest picture of what people really think about walking, wheeling and cycling across the UK and Ireland.
Find out more as we mark 10 years of the Walking and Cycling Index.
Note to reader
We recognise that some people who use wheeled mobility aids, for example a wheelchair or a mobility scooter, may not identify with the term walking and may prefer to use the term wheeling.
We use the terms walking and wheeling together to ensure we are as inclusive as possible.
