After what feels like a very long 18 month wait, with the trishaw sitting collecting dust, Hand In Hand Activities CIC are excited to share the news that they will be launching their new project, Cycling Without Age Stockton on Tees, at Ropner Park in Hartburn on Tuesday 24th August 2021.

The project, which had to be placed on hold for 18-months due to the Coronavirus pandemic, has been many years in the making, with Hand In Hand Activities CIC becoming registered affiliates of the international project in 2017, hosting a community engagement event in early 2018 and then taking 2 years to raise the funds needed to purchase their first trishaw, affectionately names ‘Trixie’ by attendees at Stockton Soup in February 2020.

Trixie the Triobike electrically-assisted trishaw has covered just 15 miles since delivery in February 2020, which have been covered during short route-finding exercises around Stockton on Tees. The trishaw can reach speeds of up to 15 miles per hour and has had a whole host of additions, including a fleece waterproof fitted blanket, a waterproof hood, bespoke transparent plastic COVID-screens (thanks to a financial donation from Middlesbrough and Teesside Philanthropic Foundation), electric indicators, high-vis flag and saddle bags for storage.

The launch event has been much anticipated by the team and Hand In Hand Activities CIC, who have been planning and waiting for COVID restrictions to ease, since March 2020 when the original launch event was hoped to happen. Alison Watson-Shields, Director, said, “This day has been a long time coming. We had plans and funding in place for the launch to take place in late March/early April 2020 but obviously the planet had other plans. During the eased restrictions in the Summer of 2020 we were able to get out and work on finding safe routes around green spaces in the Borough, although we have a lot more exploring to do, and we have found that many local park users are very receptive to the project. I am so looking forward to seeing passengers, some of which have been most heavily impacted by COVID restrictions, going for a chauffeured ride around Ropner Park. I just hope that the weather is on our side!”

Trixie Trishaw will be at Ropner Park on Tuesday 24th August and is available for short, 10-minute rides around the park between the hours of 10am and 4pm, with pre-booking recommended at www.cwastockton.co.uk so if you are in the park, please do pop over to say ‘hello’ and, if no passengers are on the trishaw, you are welcome to have your photograph taken with or on Trixie or go for a quick spin if no passengers are booked for that time slot.


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