Olympic Bikes at Bannerman High

A £40,000 mountain bike circuit was opened in the East End last month at Bannerman High School by medal winning members of the Special Olympics cycling team.

The track, which was two years in the making, was a result of requests from pupils who wanted a venue where they could train without travelling a distance.

The only other inner city mountain bike track is in Pollok Country Park. It was opened in 2004.

Triple Olympic cycling champion, Chris Hoy, who opened the Pollok track said: ‘This new track may bring on the next generation of Olympians.’

Almost 100 individuals, including 60 pupils, gathered in the pouring rain on Tuesday October 21 to watch demonstration rides by the team.

Pupils from Bannerman High, and feeder primary schools Swinton, Sandaig and Caledonia also took part in races.

The 1km bike trail, which will also be open to the local community, has been constructed around the school’s football and hockey pitch. It is designed to improve the confidence of off-road cyclists and improve their mountain biking skills.

A hard grade circuit has jumps, ramps, cobbled stones and raised embankments while an easier grade circuit is made up of gentle bends and surfaced stone.

The track was funded by Sustrans, a leading UK charity focused on sustainable transport. It was built in response to the huge rise in popularity of mountain biking in Scotland.

Councillor Euan McLeod, Convenor of the Land and Environmental Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee told the gathering: ‘The young people of Bannerman High have been at the heart of this project.’

John Lauder, Sustrans Scotland Director, said: ‘Through our project ‘Tackling the School Run’ we know that more and more children are cycling to school. The more opportunities young people have to get on their bikes the more they will do just that.’

 

A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: ‘It is hoped the track will also provide a bridge between the secondary school and its feeder primary schools, so easing the transition for pupils.’

Pothole Patrol

Councillor Danny Alderslowe has been on pothole patrol at various locations in the city, encouraging cyclists to report potholes to the Council and get them repaired.

The Council has a service commitment to repair potholes on main roads within 24 hours and on side roads within five days. Potholes are particularly hazardous for cyclists as they often occur at the edges of roads where cyclists usually ride. Swerving to avoid them can place cyclists in danger as they can come into contact with passing traffic. Danny told the LOCAL NEWS: ‘It’s great to see so many people cycling these days, but if the roads are in poor condition it discourages people from using their bikes. And it is especially difficult for new cyclists. Potholes are a serious hazard.’

The council’s pothole hotline number is 0800 373635.

Football Match Closes Refugee Week

One of the 20 teams which took part in the Refugee Week tournament.

Springburn beat Sighthill A team 2-1. But the result was much better than that. For this final game was the clincher in a five-a-side football tournament during Refugee Week.

The event was held at the tennis courts in Kelvingrove Park and 20 teams of school boys from 70 different nations had a great day out despite the heavy rain.

The event brought Refugee week to a close. Organised by Operation Reclaim, it was part of an initiative tackling gang violence and attacks on asylum seekers.

By bringing together local young people with their peers who are asylum seekers and refugees, the football provides opportunities for integration in a fun way. It also reclaimed the local recreation area in Sighthill for children and young people because they played there during the early part of the tournament.

The impact of the programme in the area has been ‘massive’ with police estimating that crime and fear of crime has been cut by more than one third.