Driffield Road Safety Instructor Wins National Lifetime Achievement Award

A dedicated cycling instructor from Driffield who has taught more than 15,000 people to ride safely has been honoured with a prestigious national award.

More than 15,000 children and adults across the East Riding now know how to ride bikes safely, thanks to the nearly three decades of dedication from one Driffield instructor.

A national lifetime achievement accolade has been awarded to sixty-seven-year-old Julie Turner for her tireless work in road safety. She received the David Dansky Award from the Bikeability Trust, the organisation that manages the Department for Transport's flagship national cycle training programme for school children in England.

For twenty-five years, the dedicated cyclist has worked on the road safety team at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, following three initial years as a volunteer. Her daily work involves visiting schools to run Bikeability training courses—a modern successor to traditional cycling proficiency—alongside teaching vital safety skills to scooter riders and pedestrians.

The impact of her work extends far beyond the classroom. During school holidays, she volunteers at road safety events and has successfully run a project teaching local refugees how to cycle.

Outside of her official role, she serves as a British Cycling volunteer, organising regular 'Breeze' rides designed to encourage and empower female cyclists. She also leads guided rides for the general public and acts as an accredited marshal and volunteer for the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust.

Her commitment sees her leading three women's bike rides every week in the East Riding, plus a fortnightly session at a local cycle track to help people gain confidence in a traffic-free environment. By May of this year, the total distance she had covered on her guided rides reached 24,901 miles—equivalent to travelling entirely around the globe.

She was also instrumental in providing on-road research statistics and analysis for a 2023 Immersive Reality pilot scheme conducted by Brunel University and Active Travel England.

The Driffield resident, who plans to retire in March 2027 at the age of sixty-eight, reflected on her long career and the profound effect cycling has had on her life.

Julie Turner said:

"Cycling has shaped such a huge part of my life, and I feel incredibly fortunate that it has become both my career and my main form of volunteering.

"For the past 28 years, I’ve supported children and adults across East Yorkshire to cycle safely, confidently and independently through cycling proficiency, Bikeability and community rides.

"What I’m proudest of is helping people who never thought cycling was 'for them'. Watching confidence grow, friendships form and people discover what they’re capable of is incredibly rewarding.

"Cycling has given me friendship, purpose, adventure and a real connection to my community, and even when I retire, I know I’ll continue helping others experience the joy, freedom, health and well-being that cycling brings for as long as I can."

East Riding of Yorkshire Council's cabinet member for environment and transport praised her dedication to increasing the number of active riders in the area.

Councillor Paul West said:

"Congratulations to Julie. She is an extremely worthy winner of this award and we are lucky to have her on our road safety team.

"She has dedicated her life to cycling and has been responsible for teaching thousands of people, mainly primary school children, how to ride their bikes safely on our roads.

"Julie has undoubtedly increased the numbers of riders in the East Riding and couldn't have done more to promote the positives of cycling. She is a true inspiration."

The prestigious award was announced on behalf of the Bikeability Trust by BBC journalist and handcycling enthusiast Ellis Palmer.

Ellis Palmer said:

"Julie has dedicated 28 years to supporting cycling in the East Yorkshire including 25 years delivering Bikeability and cycle training to children and adults alike.

"Across her career, Julie’s inspired and trained more than 15,000 riders, while mentoring instructors and championing inclusive cycling.

"Julie, thank you for your decades of dedication and passion and service to cycling."