Morecambe school pupils take part in marathon cycle ride and music video challenge

Tuesday, 12 December 2023 07:59

By Greg Lambert @greglam72

Pupils from Bay Leadership Academy taking part in the cycling challenge

Pupils from a Morecambe secondary school have completed a marathon cycle ride and produced a music video in a project aimed at helping their confidence and self-esteem.

Children from the Bay Leadership Academy (formerly Heysham High School) cycled from Morecambe to Blackpool and then presented their music video to school staff, family and friends.

Their work by Year 8 and 9 pupils was part of RESTORE - a programme of activities organised by the Lancaster-based Lancashire Youth Challenge (LYC) charity.

The RESTORE programme empowers young people to better manage their physical and emotional health, while providing them with a platform to express themselves in a responsible way and achieve personal success.

Many of the pupils who achieved the Morecambe to Blackpool Tower Cycle Challenge, which covered approximately 30 miles, had never ridden such a distance before, cycled on roads or in a group.

Prior to the cycle ride, they also learned basic bicycle maintenance, road safety, how to cycle as a team and personal responsibility from Lancashire-based Go Velo and LYC staff.

There are two further RESTORE programmes planned at Bay Leadership Academy, to be delivered in 2024.

The RESTORE activities at Bay Leadership Academy were supported by the Opening Schools Facilities Fund and Sport England.

LYC has facilitated similar RESTORE programmes with Ukrainian and Sudanese resettled refugees in Preston and at several schools across Lancashire.

Lancashire Youth Challenge was established initially by volunteers in 2015 and is based in Lancaster.

Its work enables young people to build confidence and resilience via an exciting year-round programme of personal development and wellbeing programmes, creative arts activities, community impact projects, outdoor expeditions and cultural education events.