Turnbull High School launch Cycle Club with ED’s Cycle Co-op and £4,600 of Sustrans funding, former pupil Peter Jakubski, with his collection of 1970′s Raleigh Chopper bikes.
Today, Wednesday 27th Oct. at Turnbull High School, former pupil Peter Jakubski, a collector of 1970′s Raleigh Chopper bikes, launched the new Cycle Club. ED’s Cycle Co-op has secured a £4,600 “Tackling the School Run’ grant from UK charity, Sustrans, to support the pupils cycle safely and maintain their bikes.
Around half a dozen Choppers were on hand for the pupils to try out and ‘feel the fun’ of two wheeled transport. These were a great hit at the time and still generate a huge interest when they are being ridden.
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Peter Jakubski said, “Turnbull High School was a great school when I was there, but I believe it has gone on to be a even better school with the recent excellent HMIe report highlighting their range of extra curricular activities. I wish there had been a Cycle Club when I was there, so I am delighted to support it now and encourage pupils to share the joy I have for cycling.”
Ian (14) & Alexander (12) Forrester, brothers at Turnbull High School said, “We really liked our last cycle club at St. Matthew’s Primary School where we both rode the 50 mile Pedal for Scotland. It will be great to fix our bikes at school and get some qualifications at the same time.”
Mgr Bradley, Chaplin for Turnbull High School said, “I am delighted that East Dunbartonshire and Bishopbriggs are taking a lead in such an important field. I am particularly proud of the strong lead being shown by St Matthew’s Primary School. And now Turnbull High School is to have a cycle club as well. The many benefits of increased cycling to our community and our environment are very welcome and what makes it extra special is that they come about while showing children, young people and adults that it’s fun, too. ”
One of Turnbull’s feeder primaries, St. Matthew’s in Bishopbriggs was the first Cycling Scotland Cycle Friendly School in East Dunbartonshire and now has nearly 20% of pupils cycling to school, the highest of any school in East Dunbartonshire and one of the highest in Scotland.
ED’s Cycle Co-op is a not for profit community based social enterprise, supported by Scotland UnLtd, and a member of Cycling Scotland. ED’s aims to help more people make more journeys by bike and ‘feel the fun’ of cycling for themselves.
Una Walker, convenor of the East Dunbartonshire Education Committee said, “I am delighted to support this initiative. East Dunbartonshire is now well above the national average of pupils cycling to school. Being active stimulates the brain and we can see that it is working in East Dunbartonshire by just looking at the excellent results our schools receive from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education.”
Anne McNair, co-director of ED’s Cycle Co-op said, “The start of cycling club at Turnbull is an excellent opportunity to expand on the work which has already been done to promote cycling to younger children and their parents in Bishopbriggs. We’ve seen real enthusiasm and big advances in cycling skills and this can now be rolled out to the secondary school age group. The chopper bikes should provide some real fun for the pupils at Turnbull and a great chance to interest more young people in cycling”.
