Bikes 4 School News

Schools across the UK are being invited to sign up to a groundbreaking, free initiative that could earn them thousands of pounds of much needed revenue whilst tackling the growing issue of childhood health and obesity.

Cycle Solutions, which already operates one of the country’s leading ‘Cycle to Work’ schemes, has launched ‘Bikes4School’, the first ever scheme of its kind, aimed at encouraging cycling amongst school children by offering parents and teachers a substantial discount on the purchase of bicycles and cycling accessories, with the school receiving a cash commission on every sale.

Under the terms of the initiative, any school can sign up online at www.bikes4schoool.co.uk where they will be issued with a unique code specific to the individual school. Anyone purchasing bicycles or cycling clothing equipment from the extensive range available online who then enters this code will receive a significant discount on the advertised price, with five per cent of the sale value going directly to the school. There is no cost or additional workload involved for the individual schools as the scheme is managed entirely by Cycle Solutions, although headmasters are able to log on and see a full record of purchases and order values at any time, and will receive a quarterly payment.

The new initiative is being launched at a time when the issue of childhood health and obesity problems is very high on the agenda, with many schools now looking to cycling as a way of encouraging pupils to take more exercise. The new ‘Bikeability’ award, a cycling proficiency test for the 21st century, designed to give the next generation the skills and confidence to ride on today’s busy roads is being rolled out in schools across England and Wales, while a growing number of schools are introducing ‘cycle trains’ as a safe and healthy way of getting pupils out of their parents’ cars and into the saddle for the daily journey to school.

The Bikes4School scheme will be available to all schools in the UK, and once an establishment is registered with the scheme, friends and relatives can also log on to benefit from the discounts and generate even more income for the school.

Steve Edgell, Managing Director, Cycle Solutions, commented:

“Bikes4School is a fantastic initiative that combines the need to get the next generation more active with the opportunity for schools to generate valuable income. We are constantly fed stories about how today’s children are more sedentary than ever, and by providing discounted cycling equipment we can really make a difference to the health of the UK’s children. More and more schools are looking at cycling as a fun, easy way for pupils to get some exercise, and with interest in cycling growing, Bikes4School can really make a difference, not only to the health of the UK’s children, and the parent’s pocket, but to the environment, with less short car journeys to school and back needed.

“It is a difficult time for Headmasters at the moment, having to balance budgets and deal with rising bills while trying to ensure that his pupils are receiving the best education that they can get. Every penny counts, which is why Bikes4School is so good. It’s 100 per cent free for a school to sign up to the initiative and depending on the size of the school, there is the potential for them to earn thousands of pounds of additional revenue. When you register for Bikes4School, you are given a unique scheme code, which can then be passed onto pupils, friends and relatives, allowing them to take advantage of the generous discounts that are available on our extensive range, generating income for the school in the process. There is no limit on revenue that can be earned, it is linked directly to the amount spent by people using the unique scheme code so it is easy to see the potential.”

Schools participating in the Bikes4School initiative are encouraged to reinvest their income into projects aimed at encouraging pupils to become more active and healthy, or to improve cycle parking and storage facilities around the school, but there are no conditions attached to the financial payments received.

Steve Edgell continued:

“When you consider that twice as many children are now dropped off at school in the car as was the case in 1984, and that fewer than two per cent of school pupils now cycle to school, it is clear to see the difference that ‘Bikes4School’ could make to the state of our children’s health. This initiative really does create a ‘win-win’ situation all round, with healthier children cycling to school, parents saving money on the purchase and schools earning revenue that they can then put to use wherever it is needed most.”

Cycle Solutions has provided cycling equipment to more than 5,000 commuters through its ‘Cycle to Work’ scheme during 2008 and boasts one of the UK’s largest selections of bikes and accessories, with savings available through the Bikes4Schools scheme across their entire range.