We had the pleasure of meeting Christine Bell, CEO of "Cycling Without Age-Scotland" last week. She brought "Stormin Norman" along with her - one of their Trishaws, named after a dedicated member of their Perth chapter.
Christine told us "Cycling Without Age is a movement started in 2012 in Denmark by Ole Kassow and Dorthe Pederson. Ole wanted to help the elderly get back onto their bicycles, but he had to find a solution to their limited mobility. The answer was a trishaw. He started offering free rides to the local nursing home residents … and the rest is history!"
Taking less mobile people out on trishaws can be a heartwarming and enriching experience for both the rider and the cyclist. For those who are unable to walk or ride a bike, a trishaw ride can provide a unique and memorable way to explore their surroundings and feel the wind in their hair. As a cyclist, it can be incredibly rewarding to share the joy of cycling with someone who may not have been able to experience it for themselves in a long time.
The slow and steady pace of a trishaw ride also allows for a more relaxed and leisurely exploration of the environment, giving the rider a chance to fully appreciate the sights, sounds, and smells of their surroundings. The cyclist can act as a guide, pointing out interesting landmarks and sharing stories and along the way.
The rides can also provide a sense of social connection and companionship for those who may be isolated or lonely. The experience of being out and about, chatting with their cyclist, and interacting with passersby can be a real mood booster and bring a much-needed change of scenery to their day.
Christine will be joining us on the 23rd of July as part of ACSR's "Bike Extravaganza" We're hoping that their presence will enable the event to be inclusive and perhaps even include a visit from some of the local care home residents for a journey round the park!
We're like to explore whether having an Auchterarder chapter of CWAS would be something beneficial for the community - certainly the three local care homes all believe that it would be. They've spoken positively about staff taking residents out. Christine talked about how lovely it is for residents families to do this too - instead of visiting for a cuppa, families are able to enjoy a cycle together - sometimes with their parents friend too!
What if the bike could be shared with the community too? With a team of people trained up to use the bikes - they'd be known as Pilots - we could have something which would enable more people to enjoy the wind in their face and the pleasure of being in the community around them whilst in absolute comfort.
To make this happen, we'd need to fundraise and we'd need to know theres a team of people willing to get involved - who's in??
If you'd like to find out more about CWAS here's a LINK to their web site.
If you'd like to express interest in training to be a Pilot, click HERE and send us a note of your details - we'll keep them on file and get back to you if things progress.
Stage one is the Bike Day on the 23rd! Come along and have a ride.