More than 100 children were gathered at Avalon Park a Bike Day organised by the TAKA Trust. Photo: Supplied / Naomi Shaw
A charity putting children on bikes has gathered more than 100 young cyclists together for a day of fun and education in Lower Hutt on Wednesday.
Te Awakairangi Access Trust (the TAKA Trust) is holding a Bike Day at Avalon Park for schools from across the region.
Taka Trust chairperson Matt Reid said the day would include "all sorts of different activities in and around bikes".
"We've got a volunteer gang ... teaching these kids how to maintain bikes, a bit of bike safety, they're having some fun too riding around certain routes here around the park."
There were "all sorts of activities" at the Bike Day at Avalon park. Photo: Supplied / Naomi Shaw
The teachers had been happy to allow them to take time off school to go to the event, he said.
"The teachers are so supportive, because we've been working with the teachers to provide the bikes.
"These are opportunities for kids that matter."
Every child who was able to, should have the opportunity to learn to ride and maintain a bike safely, Reid said.
"It's part of children's upbringing, it's part of learning road safety at a young age, it provides so much in terms of access to getting to parks and to swimming holes and to rivers and pools and to school.
The Bike Day was supported by staff from Pedal Ready, New Zealand's first accredited cycle skills provider. Photo: Supplied / Naomi Shaw
"Sadly, some kids just don't have access to bikes, so this is a really important initiative for us," he said.
"Access" was the key word in the trust's name.
"We're all about creating access to opportunities that matter for tamariki and children and families that otherwise wouldn't get those opportunities," Reid said.
The Taka Trust has gathered more than a hundred young cyclists together for a day of fun and education in Lower Hutt. Photo: Supplied / Naomi Shaw
Many of the bikes the children were using at the park today had been provided by the trust in partnership with a cycle touring company called Ride Holidays, he said.
In the last 10 years the partnership has provided children from low-decile schools with more than 1500 bikes.
"Not only Hutt Valley schools, but right across the nation now to some of those schools that really need them the most," Reid said.
The day about education, as well as having fun, Reid said. Photo: Supplied / Naomi Shaw
Karl Woolcott of Ride Holidays deserved credit for his fundraising work to pay for the bikes, he said.
"Karl is just a super kind human being. He's put a lot of his own time and money into this as well. It's really important to him and me and the trust that kids get the opportunity to ride bikes.
"He's the inspiration and the reason that these kids are all having this fantastic day today."
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