I was involved in community work for quite a while before I started Pedal Power. I ran a creche for mothers who were learning English as a second language and worked as a play leader in an adventure playground. When my daughter, Suzie, 42, was growing up, I raised money for the groups she went to by having jumble sales, and helped create a community garden … just normal things mums do. But a chance meeting with a fellow Hackney mother changed everything.
I bumped into Sally Haywill at the shops in 2002. She told me about a scheme she’d started in a local school. She’d acquired a fleet of bikes so every child could learn how to ride and was giving local mums, who needed flexible working hours, the opportunity to train and work as instructors. It was an amazing and far-sighted scheme. I’d never thought of my bike as anything other than an easy way to get around north London, particularly when Suzie was little; Sally convinced me to qualify as a cycling instructor and join the team. I loved it – running a bikers’ breakfast so the kids had something nutritious to eat and playing cycling games in the playground before school.
Suzie is a keen cyclist, but, as she has learning difficulties, she couldn’t find a suitable cycling group. In 2004, inspired by Sally’s scheme, I started my own group: a cycling club for people with learning difficulties.
Pedal Power started off small – with just two original members. A tea party at my house raised around £600 to get started. News of the club soon spread. Within a few weeks we had 10 members. I paid another trainer to run sessions with me and worked with a behavioural specialist to ensure we catered properly for our members. Ray Vallins, a parent of one of our first members, became our treasurer, and has been invaluable to the running of the club ever since.
Today, we welcome between 50 and 100 cyclists to a session. Our youngest member was three – the oldest, 103! We’re an off-road club, as our members need to cycle in a safe environment while they build confidence and cycling skills. Our Tuesday and Saturday sessions are in Finsbury Park – on a big, flat, tarmacked area – but the Thursday sessions we started running this year are on the podium outside the Emirates stadium.
I’m always being told what a difference I’ve made, and although it’s nice to get the pat on the back and a BEM from the Queen, Pedal Power is a family of wonderful members, parents, support workers, trainers and volunteers. It was particularly special when Suzie brought her friend to the group; he couldn’t ride a bike at all, and now we cycle together to our Saturday session. Suzie still enjoys Pedal Power, regularly attending and helping us set the bikes up.
I want to get Pedal Power into shape for the future. We need longer-term funding to ensure its continuation. At the moment, we still apply for grants on a year-by-year basis. We hold small-scale events like the original tea party to help with costs; this keeps our members and supporters involved and creates a sense of ownership of the project. I’d encourage you to have fun while raising money to set up your own club or group.
When we have fundraising tea parties, my great nieces and nephews dress up as waiters and waitresses. It’s a great experience for them – even when they take orders and then decide it’s time for their own tea break. One day at a cycling session, the six-year-old sister of one of our members brought some fairy cakes to share with the group. I suggested she sell them to raise money for us. The next time she came along with a whole tray of cakes to sell – it’s that easy to inspire young people and get them supporting a community project.
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