Glasgow parents are being helped to buy their kids a bike thanks to a major £900,000 investment.
The Scottish Government has confirmed it will pledge the cash to support the Rock Up & Ride programme, delivered by Scottish Cycling.
The scheme is part of their commitment to providing access to bikes for school-age children, who could otherwise not afford them.
The project is a lasting legacy for everyday cycling as the UCI 2023 Cycling World Championships hosted by Scotland draw close.
At a launch event held Thursday, July 20, at Pollok Park, Glasgow, saw a group of children from All Nations Sport Arts and Recreation (ANSAR) put through their paces in a skills session.
Rock Up & Ride was launched in 2021 and has run across eight regional sites and has delivered a series of fun, free and easy-to-access sessions aimed at children aged 7-14 years.
These sessions link directly to a cycling club, aimed at delivering a long-term, sustainable increase in cycling activity and subsequently behavioural change.
Patrick Harvie, Minister for Active Travel, said: “I’m pleased to announce further Scottish Government investment of £900,000 to support and expand Scottish Cycling’s popular Rock Up & Ride programme.
“This investment ahead of the first ever Cycling World Championships will eliminate cost barriers to children, alongside barriers faced by parents and carers, who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford a bike.
“This initiative from Scottish Cycling is about cycling for everyone and will support the revolution in active travel that we need to see for our health, wellbeing and environment. To keep Scotland pedalling after the Championships, for shorter, everyday journeys – we have committed to invest at least £320 million, or 10% of the total transport budget, on active travel by 2024-25.”
Nick Rennie, Scottish Cycling Chief Executive, said: “Today is a significant milestone for Scottish Cycling, and we are delighted that Transport Scotland has recognised the impact we are able to have in getting more people on bikes, increasing funding to our programmes and trusting us to deliver against key government objectives.
“It is absolutely vital that we continue to remove as many barriers as possible to cycling to ensure our sport truly represents the demographics of Scotland. I’ve been blown away by the impact of Rock Up & Ride in its first 18 months, seeing first-hand the difference it has made to young people and their family’s lives, especially those who never thought they’d see their child have or ride a bike.
With further funding, we are able to expand our offering and are committed to delivering further impact in more communities across Scotland, such as here in Glasgow today.”
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