The Railway to Greenway project along the length of the old railway track is now very much a reality, and even has a nice new logo!
If you’re interested in the project the latest newsletter has now been published; you can read it here.
Cycling Without Age
And while we’re talking about developments along the cycleway, York Bike Belles are hoping to bring an inspirational “Cycling Without Age” project to York in 2018 and make it sustainable.
By the simple act of offering elderly residents regular rides in rickshaws or trishaws driven by local volunteers and bringing generations together in a healthy outdoor activity, the aim is to create “a world together, in which the access to active citizenship creates happiness among our fellow elderly citizens by providing them with an opportunity to remain an active part of society and the local community. We do that by giving them the right to wind in their hair, the right to experience the city and nature close up from the bicycle and by giving them an opportunity to tell their story in the environment where they have lived their lives.”
The project will affiliate to the international Cycling Without Age movement for guidance and support – see www.cyclingwithoutage.org.
The initiative is set to launch in 2018 in a coalition with other local cycling organisations/ groups – Get Cycling (www.getcycling.org.uk) and York Greenways (www.yorkgreenways.org). The intention is to form partnerships with local nursing homes and groups supporting elderly people, recruit, train and support volunteers to pilot the bikes, buy 2 rickshaws and/or trishaws and deliver a pilot for 6 months from April to September 2018. During this time, there will be at least one day of rides a week to 10 elderly residents, with a total of 240 engaged over the 6-month pilot.
However all of this is dependant on securing funding, and York Bike Belles are hoping to benefit from the Aviva Community Fund, which helps to fund worthwhile projects in the community. Qualifying projects are put to a vote, so please take a look at the Aviva funding page https://community-fund.aviva.co.uk/voting/project/view/17-5876 and cast your votes to help make sure this great idea gets off the ground.