Installing easily accessible cycle storage in your school is a key component in encouraging pupils to make their daily journey to and from school by bike. Although it may seem like a massive project, the benefits of installing school cycle storage far outweigh the cost.
It will encourage pupils to cycle to school
Although this may sound obvious, installing places to store bikes will actively encourage pupils to dust off their bikes, oil up their gears and get cycling to school. With no incentive to do so, pupils will be less inclined to make this decision of their own accord. However, with a little encouragement and nudge in the right direction, you’ll be surprised at how many of your pupils latch on to the idea. It really could prove to be a snowball effect!
It promotes exercise as part of a healthy, active lifestyle
With an NHS survey estimating that 28% of children aged 2 to 15 in England were overweight or obese in 2016, and in June of 2018, an update to an earlier action plan was published, setting a national ambition to “halve childhood obesity and reduce the gap in obesity between children from the most and least deprived areas by 2030”. So, now really is the time to promote the benefits of exercise as part of a healthy, active lifestyle. In opposition to sitting stationary in a parent or carer’s car, cycling to school will not only burn calories and increase energy expenditure but also help to boost students’ cardiovascular fitness and overall health. Even for students who struggle most with their cardiovascular fitness, or may have another issue which proves to a barrier to cycling, electric bikes are becoming ever more available.
Embedding the fundamental importance of daily physical activity into your school’s pupils will serve them well for a long time to come, and help to ensure that the adults of our future are conscious of their decisions when it comes to their health and wellbeing.
It will reduce traffic at the school gates
A huge issue in schools across the nation is the number of cars that amass at the school gates during drop-off and pick-up times; this is not only unhealthy for our pupils, but it also causes unnecessary stress for parents who struggle to find a place to park and commuters who become agitated at the increased traffic. By encouraging pupils to cycle to school, the need for parents to drive to school will be negated, and thus, the amount of traffic at the school gates reduces, benefitting pupils, parents, the community and the environment.
It is a safe and secure way to store bikes during the school day
Without a safe cycle storage solution, parents may be wary of sending their children to school on a bike that could become vandalised, lost or stolen. However, by choosing the right cycle storage, your pupils’ bikes will be kept safe and secure throughout the school day and be ready and waiting for them on their ride home. For more information about the range of bike cycle storage solutions that we can offer your school, take a look at our handy bike storage guide today.