New bike shelter at local school receives council grant boost
Test Valley Borough Council has awarded a £1,000 Councillor Community Grant to the Friends of Cupernham Infant School (FOCUS) to contribute towards the installation of a new bike and scooter shelter.
The shelter was installed in readiness for national Cycle to School Week last week, which aims to inspire students to embrace cycling as a fun, healthy, and eco-friendly way to commute.
It is part of a broader initiative to promote active travel, and is designed to foster a love for cycling, promote physical activity, and reduce traffic congestion around the school.. Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC), Hampshire County Council (HCC), and Cupernham Infant and Junior Schools have collaborated to ease congestion at the school gates by encouraging parents to park at Abbotswood Sports Pavilion and walk, bike, or scoot to school.
The new shelter provides covered parking for 18 bikes and 27 scooters. It replaces an uncovered bike rack that only accommodated eight bikes. This improvement was driven by a parent survey that highlighted the need for better facilities, resulting in a 50% increase in bike capacity as well as additional scooter parking for use by Cupernham Infant School, Cupernham Junior school and Woodley Pre-School students.
FOCUS, a registered charity, played a crucial role in raising funds for the project through bake sales, a pre-loved uniform shop, and a sponsored walk. In addition to the £1,000 grant from the TVBC Councillor Community Grant Scheme, FOCUS received £3,000 from Sport England's National Lottery funding, which was vital in ensuring the shelter was ready for the start of the new academic year. The total cost of the project was £8,782.
The new shelter has already seen a 40% increase in bike usage, with more students now using scooters as well.
Cupernham Infant School's Head Teacher, Mr. Wells, expressed his excitement, saying:
"We are thrilled to have our new cycle and scooter shed in place. The children were so excited to see it when they returned from the summer holidays, and it's now full every day!
“The children are always telling me that scooting is so much fun, it can be faster than walking, healthier than coming by car and it’s green – scooters don’t pollute the air like cars. A huge thank you to FOCUS, Test Valley Borough Council, and our councillors for supporting this project, and to Sport England for their generous grant.”
Councillor Neil Gwynne added:
“As someone who sits on the borough council's Climate Emergency Working Group I am very happy to support anything that cuts carbon emissions now and sets up good habits for the future. Especially when it puts smiles on so many young faces!”
The new shelter is expected to further support the school's goals of achieving Bronze Accreditation as part of their Travel Plan, encouraging sustainable alternatives to car travel. This project exemplifies how local community efforts, combined with external support, can create a lasting positive impact on children’s health, wellbeing, and the environment.