Derby gets England's first Community Cycling Coach

Children in Derby will be the first in the country to have cycle training from a Community Cycling Coach, when Richard Camm takes up his post after the Easter school holidays.

Children in Lees Brook, Derby Moor and Sinfin secondary schools in Derby will form a community cycling club. Camm will organise school based cycle coaching activities for these pupils and create links with local community clubs and organisations for further activities.

Camm has a background in BMX and mountain bike racing. He is a qualified British Cycling Activity Award coach to level 2 and an engineer and cycle mechanic.

“I am very excited to have the chance to give something back to a sport I have loved for over 20 years,” saidf Camm.

“Balance, co-ordination, fitness, social development and inclusion will be just some of the skills we can teach the children from the three schools taking part in the coaching sessions. I think this will have a major impact on the community – it will be a big step towards the health and well being of the children in Derby.”

Sustrans Bike It Officer for Derby, Dave Clasby, is chair of the steering group responsible for spearheading the coaching post. Bike It in Derby is one of four bike industry funded pilot projects taking place across the country aiming to get more children cycling to school.

All three schools which Camm will be working with are already taking part in the Sustrans-managed Bike It scheme. The new post of Community Cycling Coach together with the work already undertaken as part of Bike It, will see many more children encouraged to cycle to school in the Derby area.

Clasby said: “Cycling is now a main stream option within the PE curriculum and the wider school development plan. Students will organise and run their own clubs, deciding direction and commenting on the issue of cycling to school through the clubs.”