School Children can take part in the Wiggle Magnificat! Primary and Secondary schools in West Berkshire are benefiting from an innovative partnership initiative between West Berkshire Council, Andy Cook Cycling, British Cycling and UCI Wiggle Magnificat. This is a sustainable programme initiative as it enables school children to not only have the opportunity to be given expert cycle coaching at schools, but also the opportunity to try out these new learnt skills by taking part in the Wiggle Magnificat through an inter schools cycling activity at Newbury Racecourse on Sunday 12th June.

Building on last year’s success! This new approach to a holistic school cycling programme was developed by Andy Cook and then piloted last year to a small group of primary schools with great success. This year the programme is now being expanded to secondary and primary schools, with British Cycling showing interest in many aspects of the project. They are supporting the schools coaching initiative and organising a series of cycling activities and competitions at the Wiggle Magnificat. British Cycling coaches and instructors will be running Go Ride Racing on a purpose designed 0.5mile tarmac / grass circuit, Wattbike static bike 500m “time trial” competitions and cycling skills activities at the Magnificat Village HQ within Newbury Racecourse grounds. To ensure as many children can take part, British Cycling will provide bikes and helmets for any child without one.

An adult Sportive in a small package! Parents with their children will be able to ride the 2.5mile KiddiCat multi-lap which is a Charity run fun event for families. The organiser Ken Robson likes to call this a “sportive” ride for the children, describing it as “an adult sportive in a small package” The 2.5mile ride is traffic free and flat, with much of the course running alongside the straight mile racecourse track, before looping off onto a grassland single track back to the start / finish in the Village HQ. The ride is sponsored by Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Charity and gives families the opportunity to ride laps and raise funds. It should be very popular with sportive riders with family, as their partner and children can enjoy their own mini-sportive, whilst they partake in the main event, riding one of 127mile, 81mile, 51 mile distance options

Wiggle Magnificat organiser Ken Robson added

“My event enables cyclists to ride their challenge distance of 127miles, 81miles, or 51miles and at the same time engage with children and families to come and take part and experience a really great day of cycling. Once the main ride cyclists have departed the racecourse grounds, the family activities and schools competitions will commence.
From midday onwards, cyclists will be re-entering the grounds to celebrate their success and find out how their families have been enjoying themselves.

The sustainable schools programme is very important to encourage cycling as a healthy activity to pursue, and my event gives a focus to the communities that clearly demonstrates how anyone from 6 years old to 75 years old can have fun on a bicycle and share experiences. The inter-schools points based trophies we award is another way we give recognition to the team participation approach at the school level ”

Details regarding Wiggle Senior and Junior Magnificat rides and cycle competitions activities on Sunday 12th June can be found at www.cyclegb.co.uk or email Ken Robson at info@cyclegb.co.uk