Changing Gears project to capture young people’s views on cycling, safety and health

8 May 2020

Children in Scotland has launched a new project to find out what children and young people think about cycling, safety and the Bikeability programme, the cycle training programme run in primary schools by Cycling Scotland.

Changing Gears will evaluate the Bikeability programme and aims to understand more broadly what children and young people experience on their journeys and their future aspirations for travel.

The project will capture perspectives on road safety and risk; active travel choices; health and wellbeing; how the climate change movement is shifting attitudes; and the impact of longer term demographic changes, including cost of car ownership.

It will also examine potential challenges for children in years P5-7 and how the Bikeability programme helps.

Children in Scotland will be working with three schools later in the year to gather views.

To get ready for the school visits, we are recruiting a Co-Design Team of young people to help shape design the project and decide on questions and approach.

Click here for information about applying to be part of the Co-Design Team

The project is being led at Children in Scotland by our Participation Manager Elaine Kerridge alongside Policy Officer Chris Ross, who said:

“We’re very pleased to be launching this evaluation and participation project in partnership with Cycling Scotland to look at the impact and potential development of their Bikeability programme.

“Changing Gears will examine a lot of interconnected priorities for young people including active travel, health and wellbeing and the environment and we’re really looking forward to hearing what children at the three schools we’ll be visiting have to say.

“As the project names suggests, we’re anticipating finding out lots of interesting ideas about what young people think should change in terms of cycling, road safety, health and the environment – and their right to have their views included in decisions about all these issues.”

If you have any more questions about getting involved in Changing Gears you can contact Chris at cross@childreninscotland.org.uk