A FORMER British cycling coach is getting young people on their bikes.
Adam Brooks, who coaches with Manilla Cycling in Hartlepool, is setting up North East Cycling Academy (NECA) and plans to work with every primary school in the town.
He said: “I work with individuals and some of my juniors are at a top level. I have largely achieved this outside of the town, but Hartlepool is my hometown and I want to see cycling have an impact here.
“I believe cycling appeals to different children because they can cycle in groups, it doesn’t have to be just an individual, and I want to show that to everyone.”
Read more: Call for support for fishermen suffering following crab deaths
NECA wants to get to the stage where it is introducing and developing talent on purpose-built tracks in Hartlepool, like the Velodrome in Middlesbrough where he currently coaches.
Plans are awaiting approval for an 800m track to be built at Summerhill, Hartlepool.
NECA has funding from the PFC Trust to buy 16 bikes, a box trailer, helmets and other equipment.
Hartlepool Sport, an extension of the PFC Trust, is also helping the primary school programme get off the ground and is covering the cost of six-hours of free coaching for up to 30 schools in and around Hartlepool, aimed at children aged between seven and 11.
Read more: Hartlepool man fined for dumping rubbish without permit
Mr Brooks added: “Many people don’t see cycling as a sport, where you can compete at different disciplines, they often see it purely as a mode of transport. There are lots of opportunities and kids don’t recognise that.
“We have the equipment and the time set aside to help the primaries. I have now sent the school programme information to the primary schools in town and now we just want those to take up the offer and go from there.”
Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
You can also follow our dedicated Teesside Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.
For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.
Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here