Here’s a guest post from fellow trainee journalist, Liz Day, on Cardiff-based cycling charity Pedal Power.
Some photos in and around Pedal Power and Spokes Cafe.
If you have ever walked along the Taff Trail on a sunny Saturday morning, you may have noticed all kinds of weird and wonderful bikes.
These bikes look like strange hybrids, with two seats, three wheels and bizarrely oversized baskets. Some even have saddles which look like armchairs. These unusual bicycles all belong to cycling charity Pedal Power’s highly specialised fleet.
The charity was founded by Sybil Williams and has been running for 10 years. Sybil used to be a physiotherapist at Ely Hospital and was determined to find ways to keep her patients moving.
She said: “Many people with long-term disabilities never had a chance to leave the hospital. Lying in a hospital bed isn’t good for you. You need to get out into the fresh air and keep active.
“I used to organise walking groups, but we could only walk around the hospital car park, which was grey and dull. There was very little greenery and I wanted to get people out into the community.”
Sybil decided to buy some bikes for the hospital and then worked with the council to set up a cycling centre on Pontcanna Fields in 2000. The centre proved so popular, she soon decided to extend the service to benefit the whole community.
She said: “Originally, we just targeted people with disabilities, but having the chance to get on a bike put such a huge smile on people’s faces, we decided more individuals should be able to benefit from the centre.”
The centre now houses more than 200 specialised bikes in its large bike shed, while the popular Spokes Café provides a social hub for cyclists to meet up and enjoy a cup of coffee after a long ride.
Nia Morgan, operations manager, said: “We cater for pretty much every type of disability. It’s all about finding the right bike for the right person. Many disabled people have never had the chance to learn to ride a bike.”
But the charity does much more than simply provide the right bike for its cyclists. It also trains disabled volunteers, giving them the opportunity to learn real-world skills and enhance their employability.
Nia said: “We have about 100 volunteers and we take on five disabled volunteers every 12 weeks. The supported volunteers choose a training programme which corresponds to their interests, giving them the opportunity to work in the bike shed, office or kitchen.
“We find this really improves our volunteers’ self-confidence and gives them the skills they need to get a job. Some of them have been isolated in the past, so working here gives them the chance to make new friends and be part of a community.”
Some of the volunteers also get involved in fundraising. Sybil said: “One volunteer was a police officer for 21 years, but she was forced to retire after she broke her leg in a car crash. She had to rest the injury and ended up gaining a lot of weight.
“She bought a bike, but it was the wrong bike for her and sat in her shed for several years. She joined us 15 months ago and undertook a sponsored slim to give her the motivation to lose weight. She has already lost five stone and raised more than £200.”
Pedal Power also offers one-to-one tuition for people over 50, enabling them to improve their skills and learn how to repair and maintain their bikes. Nia said: “One of our students is 84 and had never even been on a bike before. It just goes to show you are never too old to learn.”
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