Bike Garden Activation
Providing confidence through practical learning
In July 2025, Active Essex partnered with Essex Pedal Power to create the CCA (Lift Clacton) Bike Garden, a dedicated outdoor space at Clacton Coastal Academy designed to give students a calm environment to learn, develop confidence, and gain practical bike maintenance skills.
Set within the school grounds and delivered weekly by Essex Pedal Power mechanics, the project has quickly become a valued part of the school’s alternative learning offer.
Active Essex played a pivotal role in turning the Bike Garden from an initial concept into a fully functioning learning space. Through securing the necessary funding and coordinating the build, they ensured the project was designed around the needs of students who benefit most from practical, hands‑on learning opportunities.
Their investment also enabled Essex Pedal Power to provide specialist mechanics who now lead weekly sessions with Year 10 and 11 students. By creating the infrastructure and facilitating the partnership, Active Essex ensured that the Bike Garden could be embedded into the school week, providing a consistent, structured opportunity for young people to engage in active learning.
Strategic Impact
Active Essex’s involvement has created far‑reaching benefits that extend beyond cycling alone. By embedding this project in the school day and supporting a practical curriculum offer, the Bike Garden has:
- Provided students with meaningful hands‑on learning that improves focus, engagement and confidence
- Supported young people who struggle in traditional classroom environments, giving them a space where they can thrive through practical learning
- Encouraged independence, problem‑solving and active travel, helping young people and their families save money on repairs while supporting healthier lifestyles
- Strengthened the relationship between Lift Clacton, Essex Pedal Power and Active Essex, creating a model of place‑based partnership working
Active Essex’s wider strategic aim of promoting active travel is also reinforced, as students not only learn to maintain bikes but are encouraged to ride them, improving mobility and wellbeing across the community.
The Bike Garden is a vibrant new space where students from Clacton Coastal Academy and the wider community can come together to learn, grow, and gain confidence through cycling. By equipping people with the skills to maintain and enjoy their bikes including those who received a bike through Essex Pedal Power we’re helping to build a culture of active travel in Clacton that supports healthier lifestyles, greater independence, and stronger community connections.Cheryl Lomas, Active Essex Relationship Development Officer
The Bike Garden has seen steady weekly engagement, with 6–8 students attending each session, and many now confidently repairing their own bikes at home, often helping family members too, saving money and building independence. The practical, hands‑on environment has also contributed to improved behaviour and engagement in school, with several students showing increased focus, motivation and responsibility as a result of taking part.
Participant Case Study
One of the Bike Garden participants is TP, a Year 8 male, who has been to most of the sessions since the start of September term. T enjoys being able to learn how to fix bikes and gives him the experience to fix bikes at home. He has a big family with many siblings, so he would like to be able to help his family with any bike fixes needed. The practical work is very important for many of the participants, including T, who is thriving in the sessions and more focused in these sessions then other lessons. T has learnt many things so far including, changing a break block, has some knowledge on gears but would like some more practice and has been learning about the bike wheels and checking the inner tube. T loves helping others, getting them hot drinks and food at breaks and helping to show and teach other students’ parts of the bike. One thing all the kids would like to be added to the sessions is the chance to try the bikes after fixing them.
The CCA Bike Garden shows how strategic investment from Active Essex can create lasting change when paired with strong local partnerships. By funding and building a practical learning space and enabling Essex Pedal Power’s involvement, Active Essex has created a sustainable programme which demonstrates the power of place‑based investment, creating environments where young people feel supported, capable and inspired to learn in new ways.
Participant Case Study
Another participant of the Bike Garden is GS a Year 10 female, who has been to every session since the beginning. She loves getting involved and getting her hands dirty. The practical work really helps her learn and keeps her mind busy. G participants in a lot of practical work outside of school including Fire Cadets, however in school loves cooking and the bike mechanics. G explains to her teacher everything she learns in the bike mechanic sessions, showing the impact the practical work has on her. She is confident she would be able to perform a full M Check on a bike and fixing some of the issues, however would need some more practice with the chain. The confidence that G has when checking over a bike, has given her the opportunity to teach some of the other kids, when they join in the sessions. She loves to see other kids happy and their reaction when they can do it and remember it the next week. G has struggled in school and had gone home earlier in the day, however came in again just for the Bike Garden session.
