County receives Government funding to continue providing cycle training.

School children in Devon are to benefit from cycle training over the next year after the county was given Government funding.

Devon County Council will receive a £280,000 grant from the Department for Transport in April to continue providing Bikeability cycle training in 2013/14 following a successful funding bid.

Bikeability is a national initiative offering cycling proficiency training, which has been adopted by the county council as the cycle training standard in the county.

The council says around 7,000 school children will be able to benefit from Bikeability cycle training in the county.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council cabinet member for highways and transportation, said: “Bikeability training in Devon goes from strength to strength, and this latest grant allocation is recognition of our success in delivering training to a high standard.

“Last year around 6,500 school children in the county received Bikeability training from Devon County Council, and it’s great that even more will get to benefit over the next 12 months.

“Not only does Bikeability provide youngsters with essential cycling skills and confidence, but it also promotes road safety awareness. Our aim is for every primary school in Devon to host Bikeability Level 2 courses for all children over nine years old so that it encourages greater use of cycling as a sustainable form of transport, reducing traffic congestion and carbon emissions.”

Devon County Council will use the funding to deliver Level 1 and Level 2 training, as well as Level 3, advanced cycling for children of secondary school age, who have already completed Level 2.

The county council is aiming for every child leaving primary school to have successfully completed Level 2 training.