Cycling with style is Just the thing for girls

Advice on hair as well as bike maintenance for Firhill High pupils

For many teenage girls, cycling just doesn’t cut it – the helmet messes up your hair and then there’s the problem of finding something sensible to wear.

But Lynn Marshall of sustainable transport charity Sustrans is hoping to change this. As a newly appointed cycling officer at Firrhill High School and the cluster primaries, she will encourage girls to take up cycling, as part of a pilot project. 

Sustrans were awarded £230,000 by the Bike Hub to get girls aged nine to 16 to cycle to school at least once a week, with the aim of raising levels of activity.

Firrhill is one of four secondary schools in Scotland trying out this initiative first.

Some of the activities Lynn will bring to Firrhill include bike maintenance classes, help with setting up a bike club and support with running cycle events.

She will also offer fashion tips and advice on keeping hair looking good.

A representative from the Body Shop will also do feel good, look good workshops with the schoolgirls.

“The problem is girls don’t see cycling as very cool,” said Lynn.

“I want to encourage them by showing them that you can look good and feel good when getting about on your bike. There are so many different types of cycling – and cycling for sport – that there is something for everyone.

“If we can get girls to be more active as part of their everyday journeys, then it will have a huge impact on their health as they enter adulthood.”

And it’s not just girls who will benefit from this scheme. Boys can take advantage of various bike loan schemes and new cycle storage and lockers made available through the funding.

This pilot project will be evaluated at the end of the two years with a view to developing this type of programme across Scotland.