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Cycling Projects Fund 2006

In April 2006 Lancaster City Council and partners asked local groups & communities to come up with ideas that would help boost cycling in the District.

The Cycling Demonstration Town is all about showing how increased funding can encourage more cyclists to get on their bikes. To help us achieve this, the CDT Project seeks to encourage as much community involvement as possible and a fund of £10,000 for 2006/07 was allocated to be spent on a range of small locally based cycling projects. Bids for grants (up to a maximum of £1,500) were open to all groups within the Lancaster district.

Successful Projects:

Bicycology	Bicycology is a collective formed by riders who wanted to build on their shared experience of the 2005 G8 Bike Ride and organise future events of a similar nature. Bicycology will be travelling from London to Lancaster this August. From Lancaster it will be heading to the Climate Action Camp. The tour begins on August 13th, at FinFest in London, and ends in Lancaster on the August 25th. 24th – Arrive Lancaster for an evening of films and workshops at the Friends Meeting House 25th – Bicycology roadshow in Lancaster Market Square 26th – The really big Bicycology Bike Ride For more information please visit www.bicycology.org.uk/
Lancaster Steiner School	Around 15% of pupils already cycle to the Steiner School on Lune Road, Lancaster plus a number of staff. The school is keen to encourage more pupils, parents and staff to cycle to school by offering cycle training & maintenance courses. Plus more innovative initiatives such as cycle caravans to school. For more information please visit http://www.lancastersteiner.org.uk/
Riverside District Girl Guiding UK	The aim of our project is to encourage every Rainbow and Brownie with the Riverside District to get out and about on their bikes and it be safe whilst they are out. For the Brownies this will involve all girls completing their Cycling Badge which includes learning about bicycle maintenance, safety on the roads and the Highway Code. The Rainbows, Brownies and Guides will all also take part in a sponsored cycle ride at the end of the Brownies’ badge work to celebrate their success, raise money for the District and our Charity (UHURU Ministries) and to raise the profile of cycling and Guiding with the girls, their parents, and the community. Sunday the 15th October 2006 saw Lancaster Riverside Guide district take to the cycle tracks and head for the Crook-o-Lune in order to raise some money for charity, help the Brownies be safe on their bikes and encourage our leaders and parents to get active. Laura Pye District Commissioner said "This was a fund raiser which involved everyone from our youngest rainbow to our leaders and parents. It was about all of us getting out their and having fun whilst learning something about Cycle safety" The "Riverside Riding" Challenge aimed to encourage all of the girls and their families in Riverside Guide District to think about how to be safe on their bikes and enjoy the cycle paths around the city. It was part of a bigger challenge for our Brownies who are also working toward their cycling badges. The idea of the Riverside Riding Challenge came about after Lancaster became a Cycling Demonstration Town and the leaders thought it would be good to encourage more of our girls and their families to use their bikes to get around the city. The cycle path from Lancaster to Crook-o-lune was chosen mainly because it fairly flat and a good enough distance of all of our members to take part (some of the Rainbows only went half way). In total 43 Rainbow, Brownies or Guides took part in the event and another 40 or so parents and leaders, making a large group on the cycle path (sorry to everyone trying to walk their dog!). The event was a great success and raised a lot of money for the girls units and UHURU Ministries.
Inner Tuba	Inner Tuba is a a Cycle Touring Musical Show. This funding will secure 10 whole day visits - 1 to each Bike It school during January - March 2007. For more information please visit www.innertuba.org.uk/
Dallas Road CP School	The schools wishes to remove barriers to cycling to school. One of which is children not using their bike because it needs a minor repair e.g. a puncture or minor brake adjustment. As part of this project the children will be taught to carry our minor repairs as well as having the opportunity to have their bikes fixed through Dr Bike.
Network Wheels	Network Wheels aims to establish a range of adapted cycles to meet the needs and aspirations of people with disabilities. This builds on past promotion / developments which were curtailed due to lack of active partnerships. Network Wheels will be based at Salt Ayre site with metal containers used in this initial stage of development for the stowage/provision of cycles. People with Disabilities continue to be marginalised from strategies and practices concerning cycling. Our past experience has shown high uptake and adherence to cycling for people with learning and/or physical disabilities. National and international sporting excellences have also been achieved in the past. It is Network Wheels intention to recapture such experiences but within a modern framework of inclusive community partnerships. Find out more about Network Wheels
Carnforth Guides	Project Aim: The project aims to increase the participation and knowledge of cycling by young women and girls within the rural area of Carnforth. It will do this by providing taster sessions for the Guides, developing skills & confidence which will be with them through-out their life. Funding Awarded: £900 What happened: The funding enabled us to employ Pedal Power to run two workshops for the Guides - Basic Maintenance and a guided ride with skills (see image right). 16 people attended the maintenance and 10 took part in the ride. These ranged in age from 10 through to 17 years, with a couple of adult leaders also benefiting. Outcome: The courses have made a real impact, as initially the Guides though cycling was 'too much effort'. But after gaining experience of riding on the roads and using gears properly which made hills easier, they were shocked at the end to realise that they had cycled 12 miles (far further than any of them thought they were capable of) and were ready to do it again!' What did the Guides think: Guide Leader: "As a non-bike rider, I was apprehensive about the cycle ride, but Pedal Power explained everything thoroughly, and talked us through the route we would be taking. I liked the fact that really we stopped to make sure everyone was okay and also to make sure we all understood what we needed to do at certain junctions and trickier parts of the ride. I had a really good day, and its made me dig my bike out again and get pedalling." Guides: "It was well good!" - "learnt how to do road bits - how to cross the road without getting run over" "Really fun, would like to do it again - enjoyed just cycling" "Really nice people doing it, nice scenery & picnic. Made new friends" "Okay, liked it, but hard work especially on the grass - learnt how to tighten helmet" "Good, liked going down hills - learnt how to 'pull out' properly" "it was great - learnt gears and how to be safe"
Ellel Road Safety	The main focus of the proposed project is to raise awareness of and encourage safe conduct in relation to, the contra-flow cycling scheme due to be introduced on Chapel Street in Galgate. The scheme is badly needed and of great potential value. The Chapel Street Safe Cycle Project will : Raise awareness about the new cycle right-of-way and its implications for all road users, with the aim of accident prevention, especially protecting pedestrians and cyclists. Promote the opportunity offered by the new route to parents & schoolchildren at Ellel St. John’s Primary School, with the aim of increasing the numbers of children cycling to school. Contribute significantly to Ellel Road Safety’s stated aim of developing the role of Chapel Street as a ‘safe corridor’ for non-motorists away from the conditions prevailing on the main A6 traffic thoroughfare. Promote the new cycle route to the University community. Generally increase awareness of residents & local road users about the new route and promote a positive view of cycling as a mode of transport within the village, and beyond, and at the same time encourage all the road users to be more cycle-friendly. Due to delays with the highway works this project was delayed until the summer of 2007. The contraflow is now live. A5 flyer (pdf) Leaflet (pdf)