As Cork Bike Week crosses the finishing line for another year Cork City Council and Cork Sports Partnership teamed up to develop ‘Cycling on the Green’, a new initiative that teaches young people the ins and outs of cycling in the city.
Aimed at young people and held on greens in housing estates, coaches from Cork Community Bikes helped boys and girls to service their own bikes, do minor repairs and learn road safety skills, while having fun.
The pilot session was held in Greenwood Estate in Togher on 19 September with children aged between 10 and 12 learning bike ownership and maintenance skills like how to fix a chain and repair a puncture all the while practicing social distancing. Further sessions took place on 26 & 27 September in Farranree, Blarney and Bishopstown.
Attending the Blarney session at Willison Lawn, the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Joe Kavanagh, commented: “Sustainable Travel is the way forward and it is wonderful to see the young people of our city so eager to learn how to be confident and safe on their bikes. I’ve been really impressed by the resilience of young people of Cork during this pandemic and they deserve great credit for this. We aim to make Cork a responsive and inclusive city but also a fun, active and environmentally friendly one and Cycling on the Green meets all of these criteria.”
Dympna Murphy, Head of the Sport and Sustainability Section in Cork City Council, added: ‘Cork City Council is delighted to bring Cycling on the Green to the young people of Cork. Over the last number of months we all have witnessed a renewed appreciation of getting outdoors and active ‘Cycling on the Green’ ensures that our young people are well-equipped with the skills to safely use and look after their bikes.”
