Schoolchildren encouraged to get involved in Tour of Britain

The pack is aimed at children and young people aged five to 14. It is designed to help schools, community groups and parents to be part of the Tour of Britain.

North Lincolnshire is set to host an entire stage of the OVO Energy Tour of Britain for the first time ever this September, as Britain’s premier road cycling event heads to the area on Tuesday 5 September 2017.

In the toolkit you will find fun facts about the Tour of Britain and information on the different stages of Tour of Britain 2017.

The toolkit is interactive as it encourages children and young people to take part in activities and answer Tour of Britain related questions.

Three competitions are being held for schools to take part in. Children and young people are invited to design the stage three winners’ flag, jersey and trophy. The winner of each competition will have their design professionally made.

The winners will be officially announced on the race day at Central Park on Tuesday 5 September and they will each receive a special prize. The winning flag will be used at the end of the race when the riders cross the finishing line.

The deadline for entries for the three competitions is Friday 4 August 2017. A panel of judges will pick the winning entries for the flag, jersey and trophy designs. It is only one entry per person, per competition.

Templates for the competitions can be found in the schools toolkit at www.nltour.co.uk/schools.

To enter the competitions send your design to North Lincolnshire Tour of Britain team, Schools Competition Entry, North Lincolnshire Council, Civic Centre, Ashby Road, Scunthorpe, DN16 3HS or email them to [email protected]. Remember to include your full name, address and contact number.

Schools can also be part of a Bicycle Trail to be held at Normanby Hall Country Park in the lead up to the race day. Schools can get involved by creating a bicycle sculpture and there will be a public vote for the best sculpture. Make your sculpture out of old bike parts or whole bikes to make one huge sculpture. More details will be announced soon.

If schools would like to decorate a bike to display at their school or within the community, they can register their interest for free bikes at www.nltour.co.uk/bicycles. Paint the bike green to match the North Lincolnshire Tour of Britain colour and get creative as you like whether you want to add flowers, bows, ribbons or pompoms!

Councillor Rob Waltham, Leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said: “I’d encourage all schools to get behind the Tour of Britain in North Lincolnshire and be part of this exciting event. There will be plenty of opportunities to get involved in the run up to the race day. The toolkit will provide all the details you need on being part of it.

“The schools toolkit will also promote and raise awareness of healthy living and getting active, as well as road safety when cycling.

“Tour of Britain is a major international event; therefore it is important that the whole community is given the opportunity to get involved.

“In addition to the toolkit, children and young people have the chance to design the stage three winners’ flag, jersey and trophy. The winners will have their designs on display on the race day, which is a once in a lifetime opportunity as it could potentially be seen by spectators in 129 countries across the world.”

120 of the world’s top cyclists will take on the 172-kilometre stage in North Lincolnshire, starting from the beautiful 300-acre estate of Normanby Hall Country Park and finishing in the heart of Scunthorpe near Central Park.

The Tour of Britain is expected to reach an audience of 116.5 million TV viewers in 129 countries around the world. There is an average of 154,000 spectators at each stage.

To find out more details on the Tour of Britain coming to North Lincolnshire and how you can be part of it, visit www.nltour.co.uk.