MEDIA RELEASE
MONDAY 27 MAY, 2024
PHOTO/STORY OPPORTUNITY
When: 9.30am, Tuesday 28 May, 2024
Where: Carisbrook Primary School, 2 Camp St, Carisbrook
Who: Students from Carisbrook Primary School
LOCAL PRIMARY SCHOOLS LEARNING VITAL BIKE SKILLS TO INCREASE RATES OF ACTIVE TRAVEL IN CARISBROOK AND MARYBOROUGH
Healthy Loddon Campaspe, a State Government-funded initiative aimed at improving health outcomes in the region, is supporting primary school students in Carisbrook and Maryborough to learn vital bike skills.
The bike skills project aims to encourage students to be more active, more often, and will teach students important bike riding skills to help them feel more confident and safe when riding to school and for fun on local roads and trails.
The project, which is being delivered by the Bicycle Network on behalf of Healthy Loddon Campaspe, will teach students important skills including basic bike safety checks, how to correctly fit and wear helmets, various types of riding including straight lines, weaving and turning, plus road rules such as signalling.
Alicia O’Brien, Coordinator of Healthy Loddon Campaspe said “by delivering bike education programs to local primary school students we hope to increase their confidence and make them feel more comfortable to choose bike riding as a way to travel to and from school.”
“We know from the Active Living Census, that almost 50% of Central Goldfields Shire residents do not meet the physical activity guidelines. We also know that footpaths, parks and local trails are some of the most popular places to be active in the region.”
“Active travel, such as bike riding, contributes significantly to children’s daily physical activity.”
“We’re excited to be contributing to increasing rates of physical activity in Central Goldfields Shire by providing primary school students the skills and knowledge to ride their bike as a way to be active, as well as a way to get to and from school,” said Ms O’Brien.
Bicycle Network will deliver full-day sessions at Carisbrook Primary School on Tuesday 28 May, and Maryborough Education Centre on Wednesday 29 May.