Highly commended in the Instructor of the Year category, Dunbar Primary School volunteer Jason Mitchell was recognised for his high standard of training combined with a calm and friendly manner. As a local firefighter, Jason fits his delivery outside of his shifts and has been a valued part of the East Lothian Outdoor Learning team.
We met up with Jason in Dunbar to find out more about why he decided to volunteer and the experience of working to deliver cycle training at one of Scotland’s largest primary schools.
How do you feel about being recognised by the Bikeability Scotland community?
[It came] Completely out of the blue. I was really surprised. Chuffed. I was just helping out and it was really enjoyable.
How did you first get involved?
The school sent an email out saying it was coming up. It was from the parent council saying they were looking for volunteers. I think there were four of us that year that took the training. My kids weren't quite old enough for it yet, but I thought it sounded like an interesting project to get involved in.
When it was their shot, they were in my group to start with until the instructor realised that they were my kids and then they were moved.
How long have you been interested in cycling?
I’ve ridden since primary school. From Cycling Proficiency I just continued riding with friends through to mountain biking. My kids have been cycling since they were three. Cycling to nursery school and back. They've been brought up with bikes. It's good for them and for their socialising.
The more people know how to go on a bike properly, the more fun they’ll have on it, and the safer they'll be doing it.
Tell us about Dunbar Primary School.
It's massive. When my kids were coming through the primary they had seven classes for each year. Bikeability is over 3 or 4 weeks to give all the classes enough time on the bikes.
Do all the kids have bikes?
Most of the kids have got their own bikes and most of them are roadworthy. Some turn up and they have to use one of the Bikeability bike, the loan bikes, which are great wee bikes. There weren’t many that didn’t have their own bikes but there were 1 or 2 kids who didn't know how to cycle.
In the first session one of the instructors taught the kid how to cycle in a day.
The majority of them are really good. One or two are a wee bit timid. A lot of the Dunbar kids cycle to school anyway. So, it is just learning how to do it in a safer way.
Tell us about working with the kids.
The groups were very varied, and when the children behaved there was no problem at all. It just took one or two kids with lots of energy that made things a bit more difficult. The Bikeability instructor was really good at having a smaller group when it was more challenging.
The East Lothian Outdoor instructors run the program at Dunbar School and they're really good at what they do. And it's been the same each year I've done it now. So, it's a good bit of continuity.
How about your experience as an instructor. Have you picked up anything?
Have I learned anything? Probably the road positioning. I think everything else is the same as I ride motorbikes as well.
I was probably guilty of being really close to the curb. The secondary position. Cycling in primary position makes complete sense and it doesn't make any difference to the following traffic because they can't get past if you're in a secondary position safely anyway. Being in primary position gives them the encouragement to use the other carriageway to pass.
How are the kids when you introduce them to the road?
The majority of them are really good because we've spent so much time in the playground. The playground at Dunbar has got the roads painted on it. They've got give way; they’ve got a wee roundabout; they've got a stop. They have a pavement where you can go through how to safely get on and off the bike and deal with junctions without having the traffic involved first.
Once they get the hang of that, the next session will be on a quieter road and then a busier road for the last session. The majority of them are really good. One or two are a wee bit timid. A lot of the Dunbar kids cycle to school anyway. So, it is just learning how to do it in a safer way.
At the beginning of this year, one of the kids with additional needs had never ridden a bike before. To see him going from not knowing how to put his feet on the pedals to cycling on the road by the end of the programme was pretty amazing.
Have any moments stuck with you?
At the beginning of this year, one of the kids with additional needs had never ridden a bike before. To see him going from not knowing how to put his feet on the pedals to cycling on the road by the end of the programme was pretty amazing. On the last session his parents actually bought him bike.
Why is cycle training important?
Every school will have kids with bikes, and I'd imagine that the majority of them will have kids that cycle to school. It's good exercise. It's safety going forwards. It's pre-empting them for when they're a bit older because the rules of the road carry forward to driving motorbikes and cars. What side of the road, how to behave at junctions, and what to expect from other road users.
Do you think all schools should do Bikeability Scotland?
It should definitely be part of the curriculum for all schools. Dunbar has three or four sessions of about an hour and a half. If a school was struggling with time, I don't see why they couldn't replace their PE or their dodgeball with a wee bit of cycling.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. A longer audio version is available.