St Barnabas Bike Bus: A Year of Pedals, Progress, and People Power
As a family who loves being outdoors, cycling has always played a big part in our lives. This summer, our three-year-old hit a major milestone — she learned to pedal her own tiny bike! That joy of independence on two wheels sums up how we feel about cycling as a family.
After meeting Dan from Bike Worcester through my work, we were inspired to set up a Bike Bus for our school in Drakes Broughton. That was almost exactly a year ago. Since then, with the backing of Bike Worcester and support from the school, we’ve run the journey 39 times, involving 11 adults and 12 children so far.
Every ride is a joy. The children arrive at school energised, proud, and smiling — and that alone makes it all worth it. Our Bike Bus is entirely parent-led, meaning the school has no direct responsibility, but we’re lucky to have their full support.
“We look for the bike bus going past our home on a Friday morning - it’s wonderful to see the children cycling to school together, clearly having fun. Well done!”
Celebrating Cycle to School Week 2025
This year, Cycle to School Week (13th–17th October) made it into the school’s official calendar, thanks to our Headteacher, Mrs Whetham. Inspired by this, we started dreaming big: what more could we offer during the week to get families involved and excited?
We reached out to local groups and partners, shared some ideas and challenges, and from there... it snowballed!
The Challenges
When I ask parents if they'd like to join the Bike Bus, many are keen — but there are often barriers. The most common reasons they can’t take part are:
The day of the week doesn’t suit their schedule
They don’t live in the village
Their child has a bike, but they don’t
Their bikes need repairs or adjustments
The Opportunities:
Daily Bike Buses: I wanted to offer a route every day during Cycle to School Week. My husband and I have committed to leading them and we’ve appealed for extra marshals to help.
More Accessible Routes: While we can’t move people’s homes(!), we’re trialling alternative start points and routes to welcome families from across the area.
Bike Access: We’ve pointed families to local bike recycling schemes via Bike Worcester and Evesham Adventure Playground, and have available two donated bikes as “taxi bikes” for families to try out.
Bike Repairs: I’ve wanted to run a Dr Bike session since day one. This week, we finally made it happen — thanks to Evesham Adventure Playground and local authority funding.
Bike Prep Day: A True Community Celebration
On Saturday 11th October, we hosted our first ever Cycle to School Week Pop-Up Bike Prep Day in the school playground — and what a day it was!
This was a true partnership effort involving:
Evesham Adventure Playground, Bike Worcester, Wychavon District Council Communities Small Grant funding & Community Safety Officer, West Mercia Police, Green Ape Smoothie Bike, Bikeability, Friends of St Barnabas, St Barnabas CE First & Middle School, our village Facebook group, regular Bike Busers — and of course, our fantastic local families.
“My favourite thing is getting stickers. I liked cycling around the track on the school playground.”
What Happened?
Over 50 children came along with bikes15+ bikes were checked and fixed by Dr BikeGreen Ape’s smoothie bike was a huge hit (again!)Steve from Wychavon DC ran security marking all dayWe held 4 ‘bike bus practice runs’ down Walcot LaneVisitors had the opportunity to ride the Bicycle Bus: a 10-seater bike!Kids loved the agility course and sticker design stationParents chatted, connected, and shared storiesFriends of St Barnabas raised funds for future enrichment activities
My favourite part? Seeing kids having pure fun on bikes in a safe, welcoming space. Some were there all day — and didn’t stop riding. Ours included!
“Riding to school makes me feel happy. The best thing about the bike day was riding a course around the playground.”
Why Was It a Success?
There were so many elements that made our Cycle to School Week Bike Prep Day a real success — from the activities on offer to the community spirit on display. But without question, it simply wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of:
A Wychavon District Council Communities Small Grant, which provided vital funding to cover event costs and enable families to take part for freeAdditional funding from Bike Worcester, whose continued support has been instrumental in helping our Bike Bus thrive
And beyond the logistics?
Maybe it worked because there was something for everyone — whether it was:
Riding bikes in the school playground (a rare treat!)
Getting a free bike check
Watching their children gain confidence and catching up with friends
Simply doing something different on a sunny day
Whatever the reason, it worked — and we’re already thinking about doing it again, even bigger next year.
Looking Ahead: The Week Itself
This past week, we’ve run Bike Buses every day — a personal dream come true! Two followed our usual Friday route, and the other three days took alternative paths from different parts of the village.
School has signed up to the Bikeability Pledge, so every morning the children had access to fantastic resources during soft starts. And to top it all off…
On Friday, we welcomed back the smoothie bike for a special PE session (plus a chance for parents to try it out at pick-up), and wrapped up with a much-anticipated Bike Worcester assembly featuring Kiki the Bike Bus dog.
We’re proud of what we’ve built together, and hopeful it inspires even more families to give cycling a go. Whether it’s one ride a week or every day, every journey counts — and every smile matters.
