Camden kids and their families get cycle savvy
Camden Council’s community cycling programme visited Regent’s Park Estate on Thursday to encourage local families to make cycling part of their lives.
The programme particularly focuses on families from cultural backgrounds less familiar with or unsure about cycling, including the Somalian community where cycling was historically viewed as being a last resort for those in extreme poverty.
It also targets groups currently under-represented amongst Camden cyclists, including those without access to the internet or who do not have English as their first language.
Out of the 472 children and young people who have joined the scheme since the start of April, 74% are from black and minority ethnic groups. 46% of participants to date have been female – an impressive statistic in London where men cycle twice as much as women.
“We want to give all our residents the opportunity to make cycling part of their daily lives. Cycling is a great way to keep fit, to travel in an environmentally-friendly manner and gain independence.
“This programme reaches out to all sections of our community, particularly residents who may not ordinarily have the means to get information or training about cycling, or who may historically have not considered it. By giving everyone the skills to ‘saddle-up’, we’re keeping Camden a place where everyone has the chance to succeed and where no-one gets left behind.”
This cycling training includes bringing bikes onto the Council’s estates to teach residents how to ride a bike, build up confidence to cycle on the road, provide help to fix bikes and show local cycling routes available.
You can read more about the cycle training we offer on our website.
ENDS