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This article was published on Monday, 15 March, 2021. The information contained within may be out of date or inaccurate. News articles and media releases older than 60 days are archived for future reference.

Greater Shepparton City Council calls for local families to ride to school

National Ride2School Day is Australia’s biggest celebration of active travel, with more than 350,000 students from nearly 900 schools around Australia registered to participate. The day is full of fun and colour, where students, teachers and parents discover the joy of riding and kick-start healthy habits for the future.

Greater Shepparton City Council has been working with Ride2School since July 2020 on a number of local initiatives, including the Bourchier Street Primary School Ride2School event, which will give families the opportunity to participate in a bicycle parade and enjoy a breakfast of fresh fruit and juice. Council has also developed “Safe Route Maps” for 14 local primary schools, which include drop/park walk zones, supported by decals and stencil art along footpaths. Bourchier Street will be provided with a large copy of the safe route map to be hung in a school common space and will also be gifted a fleet of 12 bikes thanks to a Ride2School grant.

The safe walking maps, along with activity sheets, bright activity cards and an activity log book, can be downloaded from the Get Mooving Shepparton website. See “Get Mooving to School” under programs for more information.

Greater Shepparton City Council Director Community Kaye Thomson, said implementing Ride2School in Greater Shepparton has been a big community effort between Bourchier Street, local council, Ride2School and partners like Dr Cranky’s, to provide the resources, knowledge and support the region needs to get more students active, healthy and outdoors.

“Greater Shepparton City Council is delighted to support Ride2School in Greater Shepparton and its establishment in the community for the betterment of students all across the region.”

“Ride2School encourages students to participate in physical activity and experience the subsequent health benefits. It has also been shown to help students increase confidence, improve performance at school, build resilience, feel more self-sufficient and develop a better awareness of road safety and the environment around them.” Ms Thomson said.

Schools and Councils can now register for National Ride2School Day at the Bicycle Network website.