• Cycling builds confidence and activity levels at the same time

     

    Partner CTC

    Location Colchester


     Richard Monk, project officer for the CTC’s Community Cycling Champions project in Colchester has established a regular programme of traffic-free bike rides for a group of clients from NHS North East Essex, which is helping to increase their confidence and activity levels at the same time.

     
    Carolyn Rogers, occupational therapist and Clare Liddamore, technical instructor for NHS North East Essex, facilitate sessions at Oak House, a drop-in centre for adults with learning disabilities. Richard was invited to Oak House to do a presentation on cycling for the group. After seeing what he had to offer, the clients specifically asked to do cycling as a Tuesday activity. Carolyn and Clare now run this group with Richard on a fortnightly basis. Carolyn said: “cycling fits in perfectly with our remit for health promotion by encouraging clients to be more physically active, helping them to have healthier lifestyles whilst promoting green transport around the town.” It is now a popular activity that the clients look forward to and try not to miss.
    Regular participant 62-year-old Richard Fretwell said: “It’s good to be going out as a group because you get to make friends as well.” Mark, another participant agrees: “I prefer being with a group as I’m not as confident on my own – the group makes me feel safe.”
    Sandra hadn’t cycled for 20 years. After some retraining with Richard, along with a few other members of the group, they are all now on theway to completing Bikeability, the new cycling proficiency standard. After a visit to Re-cycle, a local bike recycling charity, Sandra recently purchased her first bike. She said of the project: “It’s nice to get out with everyone and get some exercise.”
    The group has been cycling regularly for a few months, growing in number as the word spreads. Many had very little cycling experience and the increased confidence has been marked. They are at different levels of ability, but they ride together and support each other as they learn and improve. And they are not the only ones – Richard is in the process of setting up training for both Carolyn and Clare to be ride leaders so they can make the cycling sessions sustainable for the long-term.
     
    Result: By working together, Richard, Carolyn and Clare have provided a cycling activity that fulfils both health remits and what clients at Oak House wish to do. Once Carolyn and Clare are trained to lead rides, the project will be secured for the future.

     


     


     





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