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Path: num2.nntp.dca.giganews.com!num1.nntp.dca.giganews.com!number.nntp.dca.giganews.com!border3.nntp.dca.giganews.com!border1.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!postnews.google.com!p11g2000vbq.googlegroups.com!not-for-mail Message-ID:  From: Nuxx Bar  Newsgroups: uk.rec.cycling Subject: "Cracking Campaign Backs Cycle Helmets" Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2011 13:11:47 -0800 (PST) Lines: 61 Organization: http://groups.google.com NNTP-Posting-Host: 82.71.49.124 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Trace: posting.google.com 1297804308 4220 127.0.0.1 (15 Feb 2011 21:11:48 GMT) X-Complaints-To: groups-abuse@google.com NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2011 21:11:48 +0000 (UTC) Complaints-To: groups-abuse@google.com Injection-Info: p11g2000vbq.googlegroups.com; posting-host=82.71.49.124; posting-account=7_6kYAkAAABD6HrjM0VxehwvZOKMxm4g User-Agent: G2/1.0 X-HTTP-UserAgent: Opera/9.80 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10.5.8; U; en) Presto/2.7.62 Version/11.01,gzip(gfe) Bytes: 3702 Xref: perfectly-safe.chapmancentral.co.uk uk.rec.cycling:843501

http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2087579_cracking_campaign_backs_cycle_he= lmets

Cracking campaign backs cycle helmets By Linda Fort February 15, 2011

A Reading charity launched an =91egg-citing=92 campaign at the House of Commons on Thursday.

The aim is to encourage children to use cycle helmets, and egg-sized helmets will demonstrate vividly how protective headgear can be.

The Bicycle Helmet Initiative Trust based in Milford Road, Central Reading, has produced two free lesson packs for schools right across the country. As many as eight million schoolchildren could benefit from the nationwide campaign.

At the launch, MPs were able to see how it was possible to drop an egg without breaking it if it has the protection of a mini cycle helmet.

When schools get their free packs they can then apply for their free egg helmets to carry out demonstrations.

The two packs are aimed at five to eight-year-olds and nine to 11-year- olds and are designed to understand the impact of a head injury.

The packs are specifically geared towards tackling the peer pressure that causes many children to refuse to wear a helmet on their bikes. The packs contain teachers=92 notes, worksheets and a DVD telling a true story about a promising young footballer who suffered head injuries in a cycling accident.

The charity was founded in 1998 by Angie Lee, a clinical nurse specialist at Royal Berkshire Hospital who saw first hand the devastating effects of head injuries.

The trust has spent the last 12 years working with parents, teachers, road safety officers, health professionals and children to encourage cyclists to wear helmets.

At the launch yesterday were Under-Secretary of State for Transport Mike Penning, Dr Andrew Curren, consultant paediatric neurologist from Royal Liverpool Children=92s Hospital, and David Williams MBE, former chairman of the Institute of Road Safety Officers.

In a letter to all headteachers receiving the pack, Miss Lee, chief executive of the trust, said: =93More and more children are being encouraged to cycle, particularly to and from school, and the trust recognises both the environmental and health benefits of cycling.

=93However, as with all modes of transport, there are risks involved and there are ways of minimising these risks.

=93The Every Child Matters report places keeping children safe as one of its key objectives. This pack helps to fulfil this objective.=94

Funding for the project has come from sponsors Olympus. For more information visit www.bhit.org

lindafort@trinitysouth.co.uk