Walsall Housing Group gear up youngsters to be safer on the roads

Walsall Housing Group (whg) has funded 90 bikes and safety equipment to ensure children in Bloxwich are safe on the area’s roads.

A total of 15 primary schools in Bloxwich have each received six bikes and six helmets which were bought with an £8,700 award from whg’s Local Neighbourhood Fund (LNF).

Halfords offered a reduced rate on the bikes and has also donated 90 high-visibility vests for the schools.

Terence Bate, a whg Board member for Bloxwich, organised for the equipment to be bought and is currently delivering the bikes to the chosen schools.

He commented: “I know that, in certain circumstances, cycling proficiency courses had previously been cancelled because children either didn’t have the right kind of bikes or didn’t have bikes at all and we just thought that was wrong. Every child should be shown how to ride a bicycle safely and in compliance with the Highway Code. In making use of the LNF, whg has been able to contribute to ensuring this happens and it is something we are proud to support.”

The schools which are receiving bikes are Abbey Primary; Bloxwich C of E Primary; Busill Jones Primary; Castle; Edgar Stammers Primary; Christchurch C of E Primary; Elmore Green Primary; Green Rock Primary; Harden Primary; Leamore Primary; Lower Farm Primary; Mossley Primary; Phoenix Primary, St Peter’s Catholic Primary; and Sunshine.

whg’s LNF was launched last year to offer financial support to community groups and initiatives. A wide range of schemes have benefited so far, from funding new sports equipment for youth teams to supporting community projects to tackle issues such as dog fouling.

Nitish Patel, whg service manager for Bloxwich, said: “The LNF has been extremely well received and, being able to support initiatives such as this, is something we know is appreciated by the groups involved. Hopefully children will now be safer riding their bikes around Bloxwich thanks to this project.”