In the urban settlement of Bogushevsk, Sennensky District (Vitebsk Region), members of the local Red Cross Healthy Lifestyle Initiative Group are teaching children and teenagers safe and proper cycling skills, as reported to BelTA correspondent by Natalia Gantieva, PR specialist for the "Community Involvement in Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle" project of the Belarusian Red Cross Society.
In the urban settlement of Bogushevsk, Sennensky District (Vitebsk Region), members of the local Red Cross Healthy Lifestyle Initiative Group are teaching children and teenagers safe and proper cycling skills, as reported to BelTA correspondent by Natalia Gantieva, PR specialist for the "Community Involvement in Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle" project of the Belarusian Red Cross Society.
Initially, as part of the project, a free bicycle rental service was opened in the urban settlement, which is very popular among adults and children. Bicycle routes to the sights of Bogushevsk have also been established. In January, the initiative group launched a series of educational and recreational events for schoolchildren titled "Bicycle, Bicycle – More Important Than a Friend Today". "We want to teach children to ride bicycles correctly and safely, and to be attentive and responsible on the road through play," explained Natalia Gantieva.
The events are held in the form of team competitions and consist of three interactive modules: the history of the bicycle, safe riding rules, and practical tasks. Schoolchildren learn interesting facts about the creation and evolution of the bicycle, familiarize themselves with traffic rules and the participation of cyclists in them, learn to ride and manoeuvre correctly, as well as perform technical inspections of bicycles and minor repairs, such as changing a wheel.
"Our volunteer instructors developed the game program. We have already held several events at health resorts and general education schools. I want to note that the children's interest was genuine. This means we have chosen the right training format," concluded Galina Sekvacheva, head of the local branch of the territorial center for social services for the population and leader of the "BAKS" Healthy Lifestyle Initiative Group.