YOUNGSTERS have been gaining valuable skills to help them safely cycle around the borough.

A total of 1,635 nine to 11-year-olds took part in Level 2 Bikeability Training courses this school year, which helps pupils deal with traffic on short journeys.

Tony Cox, Executive Councillor for Transport, Waste and Cleansing, congratulated the young cyclists. He said: “At a time of increasing traffic congestion, challenges around asthma and childhood obesity, the importance of teaching our town’s children how to cycle safely has never been greater.

“I’m delighted that so many young people took up the opportunity to take part in this free training, which equips them with skills to say safe on cycle paths and roads and helps grow a new passion for an activity keeps them fit, healthy and mobile.”

This year’s uptake saw a rise of over 300 percent since the course was first introduced in 2009, when 537 pupils participated.

Sixty per cent of those who took the training this year achieved all the outcomes of their training and were awarded a formal pass certificate.

A further 84 eight-to-nine-year-olds took part in basic safe cycle training to lay the foundations of environmentally friendly travel that promotes health and wellbeing.

Bikeability is the National Standard for Cycle Training administered by the Department for Transport and delivered in Southend by Southend Council.

To find out more about Bikeability training, visit www.cyclesouthend.co.uk or call 01702 215338.