On Wednesday 11th September, school leaders from across Milton Keynes will attend the launch of a Mayor’s initiative to make cycles more accessible to MK residents. The event will be hosted by Cycle Saviours at 14 Hollin Lane, Stacey Bushes, MK12 6HT, the city’s own cycling re-cycling centre.

MK residents are invited to visit any time from 9.30am, tour the Cycle Saviours facility, see how an old bicycle is received, repaired and restored, and see what recycled bikes are available at low cost.

The Mayor will make a special appeal to householders who have bikes with 24-inch wheels which they are not using, to bring them to Cycle Saviours so they can be used by MK’s 9-11-year-olds who don’t have a bicycle.

“You can’t enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits of cycling if you don’t have a working bike you can ride,” Mayor Marie Bradburn will say. “Cycle Saviours is one of MK’s great social enterprises helping to address this by providing recycled bicycles at very affordable prices. They also do repairs on any bike. Together with the Council they’re doing all we can to get people on bikes at the start of Autumn.”

Running order

4pm. Welcome from Simon Rudiger, CEO of MK Christian Foundation which runs Cycle Saviours (among other social enterprises), and Ian Revell, CEO of MK Community Foundation, which supports projects to address transport emissions.

4.05. How Cycle Saviours works – Ethan Barker, Mechanic

4.10. Why increasing cycling matters to MK City Council – Mandy Legg, MK Councillor

4.15. Year of Schools Cycling – MK Mayor Marie Bradburn, with updates on personal cycling during Cycle September using Love To Ride cycling app:

• Bikeability Training – schools host Bikeability trainers for 1-3 as they train up to 48 children aged 9-11 to ride on the redways and roads, starting in the playground.
• Bikeability Olympics – primary schools compete to demonstrate bikeability skills and win Gold, Silver & Bronze medals.
• Bike Bus – parent volunteers cycle with a group of pupils, picking up pupils at different points on a route to school.

4.20. How MK schools can access the Council’s Bikeability Training on offer in the year ahead – Bikeability instructor Richard Allman.

4.25. How MK schools can experience Bikeability Olympics – Richard Hill, Glebe Farm School & Grant McCulloch, Coldharbour School

4.30. How MK schools can operate Bike Bus – Jake Saville, PE Teacher, Two Mile Ash School

4.35. Ideas from Youth Council about how to increase youth cycling – Cody Jackson, Youth Councillor, Lord Grey Academy

4.40. How to increase the % of women cycling to 50% – Jane Whild of Voices of Women in MK on results of a recent survey.

4.45. What works for women cyclists – Ann Shrimpton, leader of Breeze rides for women.

4.50. David Haggart, Disability and Inclusion Relationship Manager at LEAP With Us , will talk about various ways to help people with disabilities to enjoy cycling.

4.55. Launch of See.Sense bike lights to track cycle usage and identify redway and road issues for cyclists (register here) – Hayley Roche/ Raeesa Chowdhury, MK City Council

5.00. Next steps for the Cycling Citizens MK alliance – Simon Rudiger, MK Christian Foundation.

5.05. Finish.