Roslynn Newman and Gordon Burt are our I Bike Officers for Midlothian.
What do you enjoy about your job?
Roslynn: I enjoy sharing my enthusiasm and motivation for cycling and activity with children, young people and their communities. I love working with children and young people.
Gordon: I enjoy the challenges that working in different schools and classes bring. Each group or school have their own ideas and goals for their particular community groups and it is great to see how each of these plans develop and how much the teachers and pupils become invested into the programme.
What are you trying to do?
Roslynn: I am focusing on increasing the number of children using active travel choices to travel to school and throughout their day. I am also focusing on mental and physical health and wellbeing by encouraging children to take up cycling as a means of exercise and positive direction. I am keen to work with local clubs and parent groups to increase volunteers and engage with the community capacity of the project.
Gordon: By working closely with the schools my aim is to increase the number of pupils, parents and teachers using active travel on a regular basis, reducing car usage around the schools, improving health, fitness and wellbeing for all. The work we do in schools also contributes to healthier communities by focusing on the environmental impact of our decisions, looking at the impact from litter, carbon emissions, and energy usage.
How are you doing it?
Roslynn: I work closely with six primary schools and a high school by running regular fun and engaging activities. I am also working with the local youth group in Mayfield and cycling club to increase the uptake of cycling in the community.
Gordon: I run a variety of different programmes targeting pupils across all year groups from P1 – S3, these include practical bike skills and training, through to classroom fun activities using science, art, maths and information technology to deliver the key messages and lessons. Where possible learning in an outdoor environment is a great way of engaging pupils and experiencing new places and activities with the help of our partner organisations.
What’s the best bit about the job?
Roslynn: I love that every day is different. I meet so many different people and love running fun activities with the children. They have such a wonderful outlook on life and it’s very rewarding to see their sense of accomplishment and confidence increase through the I Bike project.
Gordon: The best bit of the job is, getting paid to have fun, ride bikes and pass on skills and learning to our communities. This in turn will help them become safer, healthier, more active both now and in the future. Watching the progression from pupils who cannot ride a bike to riding through an obstacle course or along the local cycle path confidently has to be one of the main highlights.
Which schools are you currently working with?
Roslynn is working intensively with the Newbattle School Cluster, which includes:
- Newbattle High School
- Mayfield Primary School
- Lawfield Primary School
- Gorebridge Primary School
- Stobhill Primary School
- Moorfoot Primary School
- Newtongrange Primary School
Gordon is working intensively with the Lasswde School Cluster, which includes:
- Lasswade High School
- Bonnyrigg Primary School
- Burnbrae Primary School
- Hawthornden Primary School
- Lasswade Primary School
- Loanhead Primary School
- Paradykes Primary School
- Rosewell Primary School