Community Outreach January 2021 update
Hello 2021! We hope everyone’s had a productive return to work and are hanging in there with the new restrictions. We’ve been busy as ever since being back and adjusting to all the changes that came with the national lockdown – here’s what we’ve been upto.
Health and Wellbeing Team:
We sprang into action quicker with this round of restrictions due to some top planning skills! We have:
- Used electric cargo bikes and a team of super staff and volunteers to coordinate food bank deliveries in partnership with Queens Cross Housing Association, delivering meals twice a week to those shielding.
- Collaborated with the Skills and Development team to run Spokes Not Blokes online… see more below – the first of which is scheduled on the 2nd of February. We have also been asked to create a series of mechanical ‘how-to’ videos for Ayr’s Virtual Woman’s Cycling Festival.
- Secured funding to grow our Social Prescribing project, which refers patients to cycling activities to improve their health and wellbeing.
- Continued to offer our ‘Bikes For All’ scheme, which continues to be popular as ever. In December 2020, 1,586 Nextbike rentals were made by Bikes For All account holders!
The team is excited to commence our Led Ride program as soon as it’s safe; we are looking forward to having our community partner organisations ride along with us!
Skills and Development Team:
IRL (in real life) delivery is on pause but online delivery is full steam ahead!
- We led our first Lockdown Lunchtime Lectures, with a record 24 participants coming to learn some top tips on bike maintenance! These were specifically for people with no previous experience – no tools required!
- Our ‘Spokes not Blokes’ sessions are back online. These sessions cover all-things bike maintenance and empower womxn & non-binary people to maintain their own bike. The next online workshop is on Tues 2nd Feb 6pm and you can book your slot here.
- Click the pic below to check out this great throwback of the Govanhill Gears kids cycle club!
Active Travel Team:
- Kicked off the year with a new campaign for key workers. The campaign encourages key workers to cycle for their essential commutes. Key Workers can access cycle training, road skills lessons and 1-month bike/equipment loans, in line with current guidance. Full details of the campaign can be found here. We are also running a competition to win a £35 supreme hamper taking place on Facebook for all to get involved with.
- our Film Club will be reinstated in early February with weekly screenings. We have a great selection of films, including inspirational cycling stories from around the world, and other films highlighting how human activity is changing the climate. The club offers a chance for some switched-on screen time, with films to inspire and empower. You can find details on the next screening on our Facebook pages.
- Our eCargo Bike Library is available to essential businesses operating throughout lockdown: find out more here.
- Our next Q&A session will feature tips on bike maintenance for cold-weather cycling. Brainy mechanics Claudio and Karolis will be on hand on Wednesday 3rd February to answer any questions – the live chat can also be found on our Facebook pages.