Kidical Mass brings families together for air quality
On March 15th, 500 children and parents from across London came together to embark on the Kidical Mass bike ride, hosted by Kidical Mass London.
The objective of the event was raising awareness about the demand for safe cycling infrastructure and conditions for children in a joyful and memorable way. By promoting cycling as an alternative to travelling by car and campaigning for measures that reduce road traffic, the group are helping reduce pollution, which leads to better air quality.
Events like the Kidical Mass Bike Ride allow people to come together and facilitate discussion about air quality. Being able to reference local data from Breathe London Community nodes has made conversations around air quality more concrete and persuasive, meaning residents are empowered with evidence they can present to local councils.
Participant and organiser Frances Cherry aims to continue supporting safer and cleaner streets for families and implores others to do the same. This means supporting measures such as protected cycle lanes, low traffic neighbourhoods and policies to reduce car dependency. Through continued efforts, she and other campaigners envision a future where “Streets for Kids” can continually be implemented.
THE BIKE RIDE
The event was a large and coordinated effort, with help from iBike London, Zero Emissions Network, Solve the School Run and Hackney Council officers as well as many volunteers from the London Cycling Campaign Women’s Network.
The Zero Emissions Network hosted a Community Street Party at the end of the ride, featuring bubbles, drumming workshops, live music and more, where children could play safely and parents had the chance to find out more about other campaigns.
Frances highlighted how empowered she and others felt by the process: “many of us were parents without formal campaigning backgrounds, yet by working together we were able to organise a large, free, visible and joyful event that centred children’s voices in public space”
Children also enjoyed being able to cycle freely on the road with their friends while also being given a chance to show that their voices are valued. Participants said the ride helped them feel more confident about everyday cycling and more motivated to talk about air quality and road safety.
WANT TO LEARN MORE?
Kidical Mass London have organised many similar events in the past and seen great success. If you’re interested in future Kidical Mass London events, you can follow them on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky
Breathe London data is open access: you can view data near you and even use it to campaign for measures in your area to improve air quality. If these stories resonated with you, we encourage you to get involved and register your interest in improving air quality to your local council.
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