Cash helps kids get on their bikes

A CHANCE funding application has seen students at Buckie Community High School being told to get on their bikes – quite literally. The school is now the proud owner of 10 new bikes thanks to PE teacher Stefan Wojcik, whose browse through Facebook one day saw him come across an advert for Cycle Scotland grants of up to £4000. Mr Wojcik said: “The money was basically to try and get cycling on
school curriculums and I thought ‘Why not, let’s give it a go’. “It was a huge boost to get this money and has allowed us to buy 10 bikes through Outfit Moray’s Bike Revolutions. “We’re also getting funding from Keiran’s Legacy to buy safety helmets and work stations to allow us to do maintenance on the bikes.” The bikes will mainly be used by senior students and core students, ie those who still have compulsory PE on their timetables. It is set to open quite a few doors for kids at the school as Mr Wojcik, himself a keen cyclist, explained. “This year we’re looking to run an SQA Cycle Awards course,” he said. “This will involve the likes of route planning, bike maintenance and eventually advanced repairs. “It’s the first time we’ve had something like this on the curriculum and it gives the pupils the opportunity to do something different. The SQA can be a stepping stone to getting workplace skills. “We’re also lucky here to have such a variety of possible routes to use the bikes on, including quite a few which are off-road. “Getting the bikes will be good for the pupils and good for Buckie High.” The Cycle Scotland funding, worth a collective of total of £50,000, is supported by Transport Scotland, will be used for facilities and projects that encourage the use of bikes. A total of 20 schools across the length and breadth of Scotland have benefited to from the scheme.