Primary pupils benefit from cycling boost thanks to local business

Landywood Primary School in Great Wyrley, has received a generous donation from Co-op Travel Walsall to fund a bicycle, ensuring every child at the school can access its Bikeability cycle training programme.

The donation removes a significant barrier to participation for children who do not have access to a bike at home, enabling all pupils to take part in the nationally recognised, Department for Transport-approved Bikeability scheme. The programme teaches children to cycle safely and confidently on today's roads — a life skill that promotes independence, physical activity, and road safety awareness.

The gift carries particular significance this week, as pupils from Landywood's partner school, OBS Juliana van Stolberg (JvS), near Amsterdam in the Netherlands, are visiting the school for the very first time, a landmark moment in the two schools' growing international partnership. For Landywood's Year 5 and 6 pupils, Bikeability is not simply a school programme, it is essential preparation for their visits to JvS, where they cycle from place to place just as the locals do, experiencing the Netherlands in the most authentic way possible. Completing Bikeability before they travel means children arrive in the Netherlands with the confidence and competence to get around independently on two wheels, fully immersed in Dutch life.

Headteacher Andrew Clewer said: "We are enormously grateful to Co-op Travel Walsall for this wonderfully generous donation. Bikeability is a truly transformational programme, but it can only fulfil its potential if every child can access it. Thanks to this gift, no pupil at Landywood will miss out simply because they don't have a bike at home.

“When our children visit the Netherlands, they cycle, just as Dutch people do every day. Bikeability is what makes that possible, and it is what makes the experience so genuinely immersive and memorable. Every child deserves the chance to pedal through the local area where we visit alongside their new friends, and this donation helps make sure they can. As our Dutch friends visit us here for the first time this week, it feels especially fitting that we are celebrating a gift that puts every one of our children in the saddle."

Stacey Crawford, Travel Manager, Co-op Travel Walsall said: “At Co-op Travel Walsall, we’re incredibly proud to support our local community and to play a small part in creating opportunities for children at Landywood Primary School. Providing access to a bike isn’t just about equipment – it’s about building confidence, independence and opening doors to new experiences. Knowing that this bike will support Landywood children’s learning and development, and benefit them for years to come, makes this donation especially meaningful. We’re also delighted to support the school’s partnership with JvS and the focus on bikeability, helping children prepare for a culture where cycling is a central part of everyday life.

Laibah Khan, aged 9, a pupil at Landywood Primary School, said: "We are really lucky at Landywood because we have so many people in our community who support us. The donation from Co-op Travel Walsall means that children who don't have a bike at home will still be able to do bikeability. That's really important because when we go to the Netherlands, we get around by bike the whole time – so you need to know what you're doing!”

Jessica Jones, aged 10, a pupil at Landywood Primary School, said: "Cycling is brilliant – it's a great way to get around, it keeps you fit and it can even help you relax. It’s great that Co-op Travel Walsall has given Landywood this bike to help with our bikeability programme, it will really help us.

“Children from our partner school in the Netherlands came to visit us, which was really exciting. They brought stroopwafels for us to try, which is a treat that children in the Netherlands love – they were delicious! We are looking forward to visiting our partners next year, where we will be cycling alongside them through Amsterdam."

Over five million children across England have benefited from Bikeability training since the programme launched in 2007. At Landywood, the donated bike will serve multiple year groups for years to come, providing outstanding long-term value and ensuring the school's commitment to inclusive, equitable education endures.

The Co-op's support directly reflects the values of its Local Community Fund, which is dedicated to providing "access to opportunities and resources for people to thrive" — a philosophy that aligns closely with Landywood's own mission to give every child the skills, confidence, and experiences they need to flourish.