Fourteen interns to promote cycling on Scottish campuses

The Campus Cycling Officers have spent their first couple of weeks in post and are already working hard on creating opportunities for students and staff to get on their bikes. The Officers work within universities and colleges across Scotland and are responsible for promoting cycling as a safe, accessible, affordable and environmentally-friendly travel option.

Funded by Transport Scotland, supported by Cycling Scotland and managed administratively by Bright Green Business, this is the third year of the internship programme. It sits as part of Cycling Scotland’s Cycle Friendly Campus programme and complements a development fund and award accreditation, all designed to support campuses become cycle friendly.

The 2018/19 intake of Campus Cycling Officers are placed in 18 institutions across the country including the University of Strathclyde, University of the West of Scotland, Glasgow School of Art, South Lanarkshire College, Edinburgh Napier University, Forth Valley College, Fife College, University of St Andrews and University of Aberdeen.

In previous years, we have worked with over 20 Campus Cycling Officers who have set-up cycling hubs, organised confidence-building events, been involved in writing cycling strategies on behalf of their university/college, applied for external funding to develop cycling infrastructure and built partnerships with local and regional industry players. Fifteen of the previous years interns have gone on to find work in sustainability fields and six are in the active travel industry.

Georgi Gushlekov, Campus Cycling Officer at the University of Glasgow said “Joining the Cycling Scotland team has been one of my greatest dreams! Being responsible for both the University of Glasgow and the Glasgow School of Arts’ approach towards active travel provides me with a dual perspective few other positions can, a perspective that will enable me to direct them both towards becoming campuses that are true friends to cyclists!”