Well done to West Lea School, and especially the pupils, for participating in Transport for London’s STARS (Sustainable Travel: Active, Responsible, Safe) scheme. Thank you to the Enfield Independent for reporting it.

At this moment of change towards a more active cycling culture in Enfield, discussion about the benefits and participation by the young is as important as never before.

The recent staggering rise in obesity is due to many things, and large among them is the fact that as a society we no longer get enough exercise from our daily work and travel. Meanwhile, it is reported that the first thing most young people want is a car at a time in their lives when most of them could make better use of a bike, acquiring a lifetime-beneficial habit lasting at least to their eighties.

And if anyone doubts the importance of choosing to participate in regular exercise they should take account of the increasing concern of the medical world – now often expressed in national media.

Here’s a relevant quote about exercise from the World Health Organisation: “……. an increase in physical inactivity due to the increasingly sedentary nature of many forms of work, changing modes of transportation, and increasing urbanisation.”

Which is just one reason of many why Enfield Borough Council’s Cycle Enfield bid is so timely. Well done to the council.

David Hughes

Palmers Green