Mansfield Town Football in the Community coaches swap cars for cycles on school runs

The coaching team from Mansfield Town Football in the Community visits 78% of the area’s primary schools during the academic year. Only ten percent of those schools will be travelled to by car or public transport in a bid to help cut down on pollution.

Working daily in schools around Mansfield and Ashfield, Football in the Community hopes to inspire children to cycle to school and socially, and along with regular bike riding trips in the school holidays – will now look to add in other activities to help promote cycling safety.

The idea was the brainchild of head of club community organisation Mark Hemingray who said “As we travel to schools on a daily basis, we were becoming really conscious of the impact that was having on the environment and began to look for a way to set an example, whilst simultaneously thinking of something to create a fit and active lifestyle.”

Gary Shaw, community manager, added: “Throughout the school holidays we always take children into Derbyshire and the countryside for bike riding trips which are always popular, but for a majority of children it’s only trips like these where they get to ride a bike – so we’re hoping that by seeing coaches riding on a daily basis, they become inspired to start cycling to school and socially.”

Football in the Community secured the funding with help from local partner Everyone Active. The Mansfield branch of Halfords provided the bikes and will maintain them throughout the year.