Final Session With British Cycling

The weather could not have been kinder for the pupils. A nice sunny day.
The numbers for year eight were down but a good core of pupils had attended
all four sessions. The year nine pupils showed the most consistent
commitment and got the most from the sessions with one of the group having
started with the local cycle club's Sat. morning sessions and another five
pupils expressing a firm interest in moving across.

The kids certainly had a lot of fun and welcomed the excercise. The PE
department were impressed with the commitment shown by the pupils. The
coaches enjoyed working at my school and would like to come again next year
and it seems very likely that funding for training two or three in school
coaches could be found. Some of the pupils are asking for bikes for Xmas. I
hope the momentum can be maintained.

Keeping my eye out for other funding opportunities - I know that there's
some money available for a 'travel plan' at my school when the new site
opens next year. Is anyone familiar with 'travel plans' and what is
entailed in targetting/spending the available money?

Ta.

-V-

On Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:38:21 +0100, "vernon"
wrote:

Keeping my eye out for other funding opportunities - I know that there's
some money available for a 'travel plan' at my school when the new site
opens next year. Is anyone familiar with 'travel plans' and what is
entailed in targetting/spending the available money?

Travel plan funds may only be spent on capital projects.

Bike sheds, wet weather shelters, car park markings, are all allowed.

Cycle training, helmets and pool bikes are not allowed.

The rules vary from council to council.

"Tom Crispin" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:38:21 +0100, "vernon"
wrote:

Keeping my eye out for other funding opportunities - I know that there's
some money available for a 'travel plan' at my school when the new site
opens next year. Is anyone familiar with 'travel plans' and what is
entailed in targetting/spending the available money?

Travel plan funds may only be spent on capital projects.

Bike sheds, wet weather shelters, car park markings, are all allowed.

Cycle training, helmets and pool bikes are not allowed.

The rules vary from council to council.

mmmmm......

The new school has bike sheds for staff and pupils already incorporated in
the plans....
Car park markings in a brand new car park I'm taking for granted

I think that there's a budget of £5k...

A bucket load of decent bike locks to ecourage bike commuters?

On 18 Oct, 23:13, "vernon" wrote:
A bucket load of decent bike locks to ecourage bike commuters?

That reminds me of something I noted on my summer cycle tour, and had
completely forgotten till now.
At the back of the hotel where I stayed in Lahti (Finland), there were
several posts at intervals of a couple of metres, from each of which
dangled two very sturdy rubber-covered chains. The idea being, I
assume, that if you carried a strong padlock, you could join two of
them to secure your bike, thus avoiding the necessity of taking
anything more than said strong padlock on your cycle tour.
As long as you stay in Finland of course, but it's a start....

On Thu, 18 Oct 2007 23:13:41 +0100, "vernon"
wrote:


"Tom Crispin" wrote in message
.. .
On Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:38:21 +0100, "vernon"
wrote:

Keeping my eye out for other funding opportunities - I know that there's
some money available for a 'travel plan' at my school when the new site
opens next year. Is anyone familiar with 'travel plans' and what is
entailed in targetting/spending the available money?

Travel plan funds may only be spent on capital projects.

Bike sheds, wet weather shelters, car park markings, are all allowed.

Cycle training, helmets and pool bikes are not allowed.

The rules vary from council to council.

mmmmm......

The new school has bike sheds for staff and pupils already incorporated in
the plans....
Car park markings in a brand new car park I'm taking for granted

It's not allowed anyway. It's classed as maintenance. I was wrong.

I think that there's a budget of £5k...

A bucket load of decent bike locks to ecourage bike commuters?

Not allowed. See below:

==========

STP GRANTS FOR SCHOOLS - IDEAS FOR USING THE FUNDS

Devolved Formula Capital (DFC) can only be used in quantities above
the local de minimis levels. Any expenditure below a certain figure is
automatically scored as revenue - DfES recommends a figure of about
£2,000 but it is a local decision and some authorities are higher.

DFC = falls within DFC rules
No = DFC not an appropriate funding source
Local = Check local audit advice

STORAGE
1. Lockers. DFC
2. Cycle storage. DFC
3. Scooter storage. DFC
4. Cycle repair workshop equipment. No (equipment does not fall
into DFC and is also likely to be below local de minimis levels)
5. Providing a laminated cycle 'passport' with a swipe-in chip
for the secure store. Local

ENGINEERING WORKS
1. New access at school perimeter. DFC - strictly only if it is
on school land
2. New path for pedestrians and/or cyclists in school grounds.
DFC
3. Wider paths in the school grounds. DFC
4. Drainage. DFC
5. Improved lighting in school grounds. DFC
6. CCTV. DFC
7. On site waiting area for pedestrians. DFC
8. On site shelter for pedestrians (eg parents waiting, pupils
waiting for school buses in the school). DFC
9. Bus turning circle in school grounds. DFC
10. Guardrail. DFC - de minimis levels might apply
11. Traffic calming on school access roads in school grounds. DFC
12. New signing. DFC - de minimis levels might apply
13. Re-siting school fences to improve access. DFC
14. Car drop zones / turning circles / car parks in school
grounds. DFC
15. Markings to rationalise parking or improve safety of pupils in
the vicinity of cars. No - comes under repair and maintenance unless
part of larger project
16. Remote control entry system for a pedestrian gate. DFC
17. Active play equipment - especially if one of the stated
objectives of the plan is to promote physical activity. No - counts as
equipment
18. Coloured road or pathways to show who goes where. Possibly not
DFC - see markings above (but resurfacing all cycle paths red would be
OK)

HUMAN RESOURCES
1. Seed money to start off a breakfast club. No
2. Cycle training courses when the instructors have to be paid
and/or training of instructors. No
3. Buying in expertise for STP-related issues. No
4. Staff time, eg, supervision at 'park and stride' drop-off
points, attending STP working groups, input into STP activities such
as car-share clubs. No
5. Extra responsibility points for teachers championing STPs. No

OTHER
1. Publicity and promotional resources. No - Equipment
2. Tabards for walking bus escorts/passengers. No- Equipment
3. Trolleys for (walking bus) bags. No - Equipment
4. Wet weather changing facilities, eg, drying room, hairdryers.
DFC - Not hairdryers unless incidental to larger project
5. Software - for mapping and surveys etc. No
6. Trees to 'eat' CO2. Local - landscaping project could be DFC
7. Subsidised bike lights/helmets/hi viz/locks for people cycling
to school. No - Equipment

==========

A cycle repair workshop might be your best option, though you'd have
to find a different channel of funding to equip it.

In message
"vernon" wrote:

The new school has bike sheds for staff and pupils already incorporated in
the plans....
Car park markings in a brand new car park I'm taking for granted

Nooo! make schools a no-parking area! How long will the oil last?
Waste of money?

I think that there's a budget of £5k...

A bucket load of decent bike locks to ecourage bike commuters?

Individual secure bike bays within locked storage - they have one at
a Sutton, London school and it was full yesterday!


--
Charles
Brompton P6R-Plus; CarryFreedom -YL, in Motspur Park
LCC; CTC.

Get the bike stands fitted with four lengths of heavy chain each,
rubber coated. This can then be used with a decent padlock to secure
bikes. And decent padlocks are cheaper than decent bike locks. And
lighter.

...d