New Phase for Students' Cycle Skills Training

A popular schools-based cyclist skills programme now has the backing of a naming rights sponsor.

Tomorrow (Friday) New Plymouth District Council’s Let’s Go programme will kick off this year’s BDO Cyclist Skills Training Programme, with a class at Moturoa School.

BDO Taranaki Managing Principal Steve Waite says the firm is proud to sponsor this programme, which meets their goal of supporting Taranaki people, youth and education.

“It’s great to have infrastructure such as shared paths for people to use, but you want to encourage kids to use them only if you’ve prepared them with the skills to go out and cycle safely,” he says.

Nationally, BDO supports a number of cycling events such as the BDO Tour of Northland and the upcoming BDO Wellington to Auckland Cycle Challenge.

Since the Let’s Go training began in June 2010, more than 3,730 students from years five to eight in New Plymouth District have received cyclist skills training.

NPDC had also been delivering the training to school students for 18 months prior to Let’s Go starting up, says Project Manager Carl Whittleston.

“Now we’re entering a new phase with corporate backing, which is great news for the hundreds of students in the district who will this year receive training on bicycle checks, helmet fittings, signalling, general road awareness and on-road experience,” he says.

The programme will run in about 25 schools in New Plymouth District this year.