Ahead of the first-ever round of the eSkootr Championship (eSC) in London, an educational programme based around road safety, training and sustainability took place with students from two local schools visiting the circuit. Two groups of children were taught the basics of scooter riding led by a professional coach, in addition to lessons and practical activities advocating safety and sustainability that were provided by road safety experts from Test & Training International.
On Friday morning, 60 children from nearby St Peter’s Docks and Pilgrim's Way Primary School visited Surrey Quays to engage in an activity utilising part of the 470-metre London circuit that will host the opening round of the eSkootr Championship. Led by a professional scooter coach from the UK’s number one educational scooting company Scoot Fit, the children were introduced to kick scooters and taught how to ride safely, as well as learning the basics with regards to balance and co-ordination in a programme designed to promote the health and well-being benefits of micromobility.
In a separate grassroots activity run on the eve of the first round of the eSkootr Championship, the shared vision of accessibility, safety and sustainability of eSC was advocated through a team of experts from Austrian company Test & Training International. The messages of these key topics were communicated through a number of engaging and inspiring workshops.
From a sustainability perspective they were able to learn about natural sources, renewable energy and waste management through understanding global issues, learning what positive action is being taken on this first eSC event and how they can practically help in their own lives.
With regards to road safety the children took part in a task where they learnt about reaction times, stopping and braking distances in addition to a demonstration where a crash test dummy was catapulted into a safety barrier to highlight the importance of helmet protection.
“Road safety and sustainability are fundamentally part of the DNA of the eSkootr Championship,” said Norbert Gruber-Filippits, senior master trainer at Test & Training International. “For many years we have been helping train adults and children about road safety. The CEO of our company is the former Formula 1 driver Alex Wurz, who is also a co-founder of eSC. As our company are also the designers of this track in London, it was a no-brainer to be able to invite local school children to show them the value of the safety in both circuit design and the safety aspects of eSC that can be adopted in any form of road safety initiative.”
“The eSkootr Championship has been created with sustainability at its core,” says Jule Schulte, Sustainable Strategies, Partnerships & Engagement Manager for Enovation Consulting. “In our programme for children we are able to teach them about the Sustainable Development Goals and showcasing what eSC is doing, such as powering the whole event with renewable energy, and by showcasing best practice, they can make the best decisions about sustainable practices in their own lives.”
“The philosophy we have at Scoot Fit is that we want children to have fun,” said James Rodger, managing director and professional scooter trainer at Scoot Fit. “We also look at their balance and movement on scooters to give them the passion and enthusiasm to make sure they are safe, secure and ready to scoot to school, scoot for leisure and one day to scoot in the eSkootr Championship.”
On Wednesday Scoot Fit joined eSC rider Tre Whyte on a trip to his former primary school in south London and the class teacher was delighted with how the programme inspired the youngsters. “It’s really important they understand the need to wear a helmet when riding a scooter so they can ride safely on the streets but also for it to be fun,” said Keyworth teacher Chloe Carfrides. “Having Tre here was a such an inspiration for them and it means eSC has been both educational and also something for the children to strive for in their own lives.”
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