Following the launch of the Sligo/Leitrim Garda Division Youth Awards 2020, we are delighted to report that Green-School Ursuline College Sligo have won the ‘Community Safety Award’, an achievement which awards youth groups for outstanding contribution in developing a safety initiative which makes their community a safer place to live. The awards are in their 10th year and aim celebrate the outstanding contributions made by young people to their community.

In 2019, to highlight the #andshecycles campaign and as part of their ongoing work on the Green-Schools Travel theme, more than 30 students from Ursuline College, Sligo took part in a group cycle to Strandhill beach with Travel Officers Lisa McDaniel and Aine O’Loughlen. Prior to taking part in the cycle they previewed the #andshecycles campaign video and went on to discuss the issues which are currently reducing the rate of teenage girls cycling within their community. It emerged from the discussion that the barriers to teen girls cycling were the distances needed to travel to school, heavy school bags, and the lack of other girls cycling. The participating girls also admitted that there is social stigma associated with cycling amongst girls.

Green-Schools Officers Lisa and Aine worked closely with the Ursuline College Green-Schools Coordinator, as well as PE teachers and the local Garda Superintendent and Traffic Core to organise the 18km cycle through the town, Finisklin Industrial Estate and along the cycle lane leading to Strandhill village and back. The students were facilitated with helmet fitting and a cycle maintenance workshop to get all participants and their bikes ready for the big cycle to Strandhill.

Check out the video of the first #andshecycles masse cycle event in Sligo.