We are delighted that our Cycling Without Age Stockton on Tees Chapter has been chosen to benefit from the Co-op Local Community Fund.
At a time when funds for community groups and charitable organisations are becoming more difficult to access, we’re incredibly grateful for this opportunity to make a real difference in the borough of Stockton on Tees.
We are raising funds to train local residents to pilot a specialist trishaw to share and deliver trishaw rides to local people experiencing loneliness and isolation, helping them all to better engage with the local community.
Cycling Without Age is a movement started in Copenhagen in 2012 and now Hand In Hand Activities CIC is bringing it to people in Stockton on Tees. Nothing beats witnessing the joy of the young and the older person as they interact on and around the trishaw, and seeing the smiles of the passengers coming back from their first ride with wind in their hair rosy cheeks and full of stories.
Cycling Without Age is introduced to your community and with the help of the trishaw we start to connect the dots between past and present, young and the old. We build intergenerational relationships and involve the whole community starting with those just outside your door.
It’s the small interactions of everyday life back when we used to know the people around us; The butcher, hairdresser, neighbours, teachers, policemen, the postmen and the chimney sweep.
The contrast to the fast pace of modern life must be mind-boggling for older people, no wonder a lot of them feel lost and lonely! We know you would love to change that too – and we’re here to help.
We take older people, disabled people, people living with long term health conditions and carers out for a bicycle ride through the town.
We make them smile and bring back memories. We let them be part of society again and renew their appetite for life.
We hope Cycling Without Age will support our work to build stronger communities, tackle issues of social isolation and create more active and engaged people by promoting volunteering, healthy living, intergenerational relationships and a bike-friendly environment.
Piloting a trishaw is probably less about volunteering in the traditional sense of the word – and more about active citizenship driven by a desire to get involved and to make a real difference for someone. It’s about creating relationships. Pilots come from all walks of life, bringing their own experiences and stories, strengthening community bonds and building trust, happiness and quality of life.
To help us raise vital funds, we’ll be relying on Co-op members. When a member buys selected products or services from the Co-op they earn a five per cent reward for themselves, with a further one per cent for local causes like ours.
The Co-op is looking to support organisations that make a difference in their local communities by protecting & improving community spaces, helping people reach their full potential by developing their skills, or promoting health and wellbeing.
Co-op members can choose a cause by going to https://membership.coop.co.uk/causes/65418. We really hope that people will visit the website and choose to support us.
If you’re not a member and would like to support us, you can join at your local store or online at www.coop.co.uk.
When a community comes together we’re able to achieve great things, so we hope you can help by choosing to support our project. For more information about Cycling Without Age Stockton on Tees right here on this website.
0 Comments