Activities took place all across Hackney during Bike Week (21-25 June), and 13 of the borough’s schools celebrated with bikers’ breakfast and Dr Bike events.

This year s theme was ‘Everyday cycling for everyone’. Participating schools were able to apply for small grants from the Council’s School Travel Plan team to hold a bikers’ breakfast, and eight schools also received a visit from bike mechanics.

The events were intended to motivate families to get their bikes out of storage and ready for the summer.

Grazebrook Primary School in Stoke Newington, N16, held a bikers’ breakfast on Tuesday 22 June, which was attended by 49 cyclists and two bike mechanics.

Derek Hewie, Deputy Headteacher at Grazebrook Primary School, said: “Bike Week events are just one of the initiatives that schools like Grazebrook are taking part in to increase the number of pupils journeying to and from school by active modes of travel such as walking and cycling.”

Since first participating in the School Travel Plan (STP) programme in 2005, Grazebrook have tripled the number of pupils cycling to school and seen a 24 percent reduction in car use.

Borough-wide, there has been a 25 percent decrease in pupils travelling to school by car since the STP programme was introduced in Hackney.

Councillor Feryal Demirci, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “Cycling is a great way for us all to keep fit and do our bit to help make Hackney a greener, cleaner place. I am delighted that so many of our schools and residents have taken the opportunity to participate in the bike maintenance and free cycle training schemes available in the borough. I hope more people will be encouraged to get cycling in Hackney.”

For more information about cycling in Hackney visit: www.hackney.gov.uk/movebybike