Enable - Edition 8

3 From Wheels for All to Pedal Away - Knowsley Partnerships innovative approaches with The Brain Charity and Liverpool & Sefton Mencap In April 2021 we began one strand of our Liverpool City Region Bike Buddy programme with The Brain Charity , a national charity based in Liverpool which provides emotional support, practical help and social activities to anyone with a neurological condition and to their family, friends, and carers. As part of our partnership, we have offered cycling opportunities to all staff, volunteers and users within The Brain Charity community, including independent adapted cycling sessions and loan offers of adapted and standard 2-wheel cycles. To date we have worked with 8 participants from The Brain Charity through a range of activities; Wheels for All offers in Birkenhead Park and Litherland Sports Park, where new equipment has been placed to support their first step into adapted cycling sessions. Progress is reviewed regularly as participants are ready to enjoy further aspects of the Bike Buddy activities. One recipient of a trike on loan from Cycling Projects is now cycling with her husband along Seacombe promenade every week. Liverpool & Sefton Mencap are benefitting from weekly sessions and are now ready to build their skills to make short group rides on cycle paths and quiet roads. These Bike Buddy sessions have provided the opportunity to learn ride etiquette and communication skills, improve observation and hazard perception (loose dogs and other path users) and generally become better cyclists in a contained area. Our next stage is to support three riders using trikes to make the transition onto 2 wheels, one 2 wheel rider will have safe cycle training and another will help plot local journeys he wants to make from his front door. We have planned in Ride Leader training for staff and volunteers of the organisation enabling us to affect behaviour change from within Mencap to encourage a cycling culture and the aim is that this current cohort will become mentors for future Mencap participants. For further information please contact Shane O’Leary shane.oleary@cycling.org.uk