In the tyre tracks of this year’s Tour de Yorkshire, York schoolchildren have been pedalling a relay race as part of the Schools Yorkshire Tour.
A baton is cycled from school to school by pupils across the region. This year, Dunnington primary school pupils and Lord Mayor of York took the baton for York from East Riding at the city boundary on Stamford Bridge viaduct on Friday (June 8).
Then on Monday (June 11), pupils cycled the baton around the city.
Dunnington Primary school children will start the relay by pedalling the baton over to Badger Hill Primary School. Badger Hill pupils will ride it on to Lord Deramore’s for a handover and so on.
Meet the chain gang
- St Lawrence’s
- St George’s RC
- Knavesmire
- Our Lady Queen of Martyrs
- Carr Junior School
- and St Barnabas.
On Tuesday (June 12, St Barnabas’ primary school pupils will cycle the baton to nearby York railway station. With Cllr Keith Myers, they’ll pass it on to school representatives from Doncaster on the 10am train, who will carry the relay on to South Yorkshire.
Deputy leader of City of York Council Cllr Andrew Waller said:
Besides being great fun, the Schools Yorkshire Tour is a way to show all pupils ahead of Clean Air Day on 21 June that cycling is an environmentally-friendly mode of transport.
It’s all part of engraining lifelong active travel habits in young people which are better for them, better for our air quality and our planet.
Cllr Keith Myers, executive member for education, children and young people, added:
I’m so pleased our schoolchildren can enjoy being part of the Tour – it’s all part of our Move More campaign. The Tour teaches them so much about making connections with other school communities, responsibility and travelling around the city safely.
You can follow the baton’s progress and support the schools at #SYT2018.