ST Teresa's Primary School on the Glen Road has been awarded a prestigious award for their ongoing commitment to promoting active travel to and from school.
The Sustrans Gold Award is also in recognition for the school's work in promoting environmental awareness amongst pupils. Sustrans, a charitable fitness organisation, operates cycling and walking paths, including the Lagan Towpath.
At a special school assembly, the pupils were delighted to learn they had achieved the prestigious Gold Award from Sustrans.
Gerald Cullen, teacher and PE Coordinator, explained: "The Sustrans programme is all about promoting active travel for the children.
"There are many benefits such as improving the physical and mental wellbeing of the children. It also teaches them about their environmental impact when using cars or buses to get to school, how to use crossroads, and how to navigate dark mornings safely. It has taken nine years to get this award.
"When I started, the school had already achieved Bronze, and I was there to help push on for Silver.
"To reach Silver, we had the kids take surveys about how they got to school. At the end of the year, they would take another survey about the same thing. That way, we could see clear improvements in how active the kids were travelling.
"As for reaching Gold, we had to get a politician to endorse our work."
That politician was Nichola Mallon, former SDLP MLA for North Belfast, who had been Infrastructure Minister until May 2022. She addressed the children in a video uploaded to Facebook in 2021, saying, "You've shown your local community the importance of active travel.
Thank you to Nicola Mallon MLA who sent St Teresa’s PS her congratulations for all the effort made by our school community during Bike to School Week. Well done everyone! pic.twitter.com/hbeIuZKvcA
— St Teresa’s Primary School, Belfast (@teresa_belfast) October 6, 2021
"I am delighted at what you're doing, and I for one am really proud."
Mr Cullen also paid tribute to parents of children at the school, saying that without their involvement, the Gold Award would not have been achievable.
"It has been hard work and a lot of time spent to get this award and it couldn't have been done without their help," he added. "They're the ones who help the kids to keep going and to be prepared for each morning."
