Job Profile

What does your job involve and what might a typical day involve?

I work as a Bike It Officer in Sustrans Bike It Project, a project that aims to encourage people to cycle to school. I work closely with schools across Bristol to identify barriers to cycling and then develop a programme of activities and events to raise awareness and tackle the issues.

My days are often jam packed and typically kick off with a biker’s breakfast and pre-school games, followed by classroom-based workshops as diverse as fixing a puncture to cycle route planning. At the end of the day students might also be involved in an after school club such as bike maintenance or mountain bike skills.

Outside of school you might find me planning activities, securing funding and liaising with the local authority.

What qualifications and experience did you have before starting the job?

I came from a Biology background having studied an Ecology degree, I realised early on that I wanted to work in education and my background helped me to become a presenter of science shows at Explore-At-Bristol Science Centre. I remember vividly the thrill and excitement of presenting my first show, a history of forensic science, fortunately it went okay and after many more shows and workshops I ended up developing and managing part of the centre’s educational offer to schools.

I had always wanted to work for Sustrans, believing in its vision to see people choosing to travel in ways that benefit their health and the environment, so when a Bike It Officer job came up I went for it and fortunately I was successful. I started in April 2009 and have since worked in over 20 local schools, many of which have now have good numbers of regular cyclists and organise their own successful cycling events.

What are the best and worst bits of your job?

There are so many good bits – riding my bike everyday to schools, teaching students fun and useful skills, presenting achievement awards to schools and individuals, getting to know a school’s community, having children run up to me and proudly telling me how many times they have cycled to school that week, hundreds of people on bikes turning up to events, and seeing people having fun and feeling empowered – it’s a great job. My favourite aspect of my job is when students simply get inspired by bikes, whether it is the satisfaction on a child’s face who has fixed a puncture for the first time or the awestruck faces of a whole school witnessing the skills of a professional trial bike rider.

However, it can be tricky introducing the project to a new school that has traffic issues and very low cycling numbers. Often there are a number of very important issues to tackle and strong opinions to consider, but by working together with the school community amazing changes can take place and the scene at 8:45am at the school gates can be transformed.

What satisfaction do you get from your work and how does it make a difference?

Our research tells us that 50% of children want to cycle to school but on average only 2% cycle everyday. Sustrans has helped schools to raise this figure to 10% with 26% of children cycling at least once a week. For me the best results are when I see parents and children confidently cycling together to school, this is what my job is all about and the benefits far outweigh the sometimes hard journey to that point.

For my work to be really successful the whole school community has to be involved and see the benefits of choosing a sustainable and healthy way to travel. 94% of head teachers we work with feel that Sustrans has helped children become more physically active, and it’s not just children one parent told me ‘My children are up and ready by 7.30am so they can cycle to school. This was unheard of before, I now power walk 8 miles a day!’

Do you have any tips for someone looking for a career in this area?

Working with young people can be challenging but extremely rewarding. Get some experience by volunteering in a youth group and try to get some experience working in schools. Contact your local primary or secondary for more information on how you can get involved.

Bike It Officers come from many backgrounds including teaching, community work, commercial companies, public services, art, to name but a few. Bike It Officers are motivated, creative, enthusiastic, and are good communicators. If you want to know more about the project and the role visit www.sustrans.org.uk/what-we-do/bike-it

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