Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop MSP visited Darvel Primary this week to meet the partnership team behind an impressive active travel initiative.
The Cabinet Secretary was welcomed to the school by Councillor Douglas Reid, Leader of the Council, Councillor Elaine Cowan, Spokesperson for Education, and Children and Young People, and Chief Executive Eddie Fraser; who were joined at the visit by Councillors Jim McMahon, Graham Barton and Barry Douglas; local members Councillors Sally Cogley and Kevin McGregor, and Linda McAulay-Griffiths, Director of Education and Skills.
Darvel Primary has been committed to becoming a cycling-friendly, environmentally sustainable school. To achieve this goal Class Teacher Siobhan Richardson, supported by Head Teacher David McIlwraith, has worked with the whole school community to create a strong network of partnerships, including local not-for-profit social enterprise CycleStation, Ayrshire Roads Alliance and East Ayrshire Leisure’s Active Schools.
For the last three years the school has been working towards achieving the Council’s Clean Green Award and has introduced several key initiatives. The school runs a Bike Bus, which is an active travel initiative that allows children and their families to cycle safely to school in an organised group. The group has grown steadily with increasing numbers of children choosing to cycle as part of their daily routine.
In partnership with CycleStation, the children have received Skills for Life workshops where they the children learned bike maintenance, safe riding techniques and understanding road awareness from a young age. The children also benefit from Bikeability and Mini Rider sessions, which ensure that pupils develop the confidence and competence to cycle safety on roads, supporting long-term behaviour change and encouraging active travel independence.
Each initiative has been supported by the children, providing leadership opportunities for older children to support Bikeability and encourage others to start cycling.
Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop said: “I was pleased to visit Darvel Primary School to see Scottish Government active travel funding at work, making it easier for more children to walk, wheel and cycle.
“It was great to see how a combination of work around infrastructure, facilities, skills training and community buy-in through the local Bike Bus initiative really delivers – all working together to encourage people to leave the car at home and to choose healthier and more sustainable transport.
“To help local authorities across deliver similar initiatives, the Scottish Government is investing over £188 million in active and sustainable transport in 2025–26. In doing so, we’re delivering real change, helping more people to save money, improve health, and reduce emissions.”
(Picture: East Ayrshire Council)
