Community Princess Haylee Birkinshaw gets on board with a grant for Cycling Without Age. Photo: Chris Roe.
Cycling Without Age is a global movement that has been a hit in Wagga, getting residents that wouldn’t otherwise enjoy the benefits of a bike, out for a ride.
“As the name suggests, Cycling Without Age, is for anyone who’s isolated at home,” explained committee member Neil Wright.
“We go to community groups, we go to nursing homes. If you’re disabled at home and you and your carer want to get out, we provide the service for free because it’s a registered charity.”
Neil and chairperson Helen Sturman have brought one of their three ‘trishaws’ down to the Wagga cricket ground to receive a grant from Wagga Wagga’s Community Princess Haylee Birkinshaw.
“The Community Princess fund started in 2015 and is more aimed at small community groups in the Wagga area and any group can apply through the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest website,” Haylee explained as she handed over a giant cheque for $500.
“I only recently found out about Cycling Without Age, which I think only started in Wagga Wagga in January, but it’s really taken off and they’ve got three bikes now, which is fabulous!
“I wish my nan was here so that I could take her out in one, it’s a really great idea and it’s very needed, especially after the hit we’ve had with COVID.”
Haylee Birkinshaw hands over a cheque to Neil Wright while Helen Sturman pilots the trishaw. Photo: Chris Roe.
Neil said he applied for the grant to help cover maintenance and to keep the bikes on the road.
“The bikes themselves cost about sixteen and a half thousand dollars and it’s important that once we purchase them we need to maintain them with insurance and wheels and bits and pieces,” he said.
“We also need more volunteers and ‘pilots’ to help us ride the bikes, and it’s an e-bike so you don’t need to be Lance Armstrong or on EPO to do it!”
The trishaw is a hit with Wagga’s nursing home residents. Photo: Supplied.
Helen agreed that the pedal assist took the edge off the hill climbs, particularly with a pair of passengers on board.
She said the trishaws had been a hit at the nursing homes around town.
“This week we went to Mary Potter (nursing home) and they were queued up waiting to go before we got there,” she laughed, adding that one resident attempted to stage an escape.
“They love it once they get out on it and last week we took out a lady that didn’t want to go back, she said, ‘Just keep going, keep going.'”
Cycling Without Age visits the nursing homes around Wagga to get the residents out for a ride. Photo: Supplied.
Neil agreed that it could be a wonderful experience for the residents and volunteers alike.
“Some of them are a bit nervous about it because maybe they haven’t been out much, but once they get on, they love the wind in their face, the sun shining, it’s very therapeutic,” he said.
“There’s a guy who’s quite nonverbal with dementia but when he rides with his carer something happens and he just starts talking to him and remembers stuff from his past while he’s on the bike and becomes quite chatty.
“It can be quite emotional for the pilots listening to those conversations and even the laughing and giggling from some passengers.”
You can learn more about Cycling Without Age here and the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest Community Princess Fund here.
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