Time and Talents – Cycling Without Age in Southwark

Time & Talents, with the support of United St Saviours Charity and Cargobike Life CIC, is setting up a new branch of the international Cycling Without Age initiative in Rotherhithe.

Cycling Without Age is a movement started in Denmark in 2012 by Ole Kassow. Ole wanted to help the elderly get back on their bicycles, but he had to find a solution to their limited mobility. The answer was a trishaw and he started offering free bike rides to the local nursing home residents. Volunteers (pilots) sign up for bike rides with the elderly as often or as rarely as they want to. It’s a great way to stay fit and healthy in the outdoors, give something back to your community, get to know new people, and just have fun!

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At T&T, we’re now looking for experienced cyclists who would like to volunteer to get involved with the scheme and help to make it a reality! Three trishaws have been delivered, and we aim to start growing a project, with some ‘pilot’ sessions in November, leading up to an exciting and fun Christmas programme to formally launch. Get in touch now and we’ll get you on board!

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At present (August 2016) more than 200 chapters around the world offer Cycling Without Age from well over 1,000 trishaws – and the numbers are still growing. More than 6,000 pilots ensure that the elderly get out of their nursing homes, out on the bikes to enjoy the fresh air and the community around them. They give them the right to wind in their hair.

The bikes are speed limited and have a little power assist, so you don’t need to be a fitness freak or an Olympic cyclist!

You can find out more about the Cycling Without Age initiative here:

[button link=”http://cyclingwithoutage.org/about/” size=”large” icon=”fa-globe” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”b70900″ textcolor=”ffffff”]Visit Cycling Without Age website[/button]

 

 

 

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About Time and Talents

Founded in 1887, today Time & Talents runs targeted projects working with people with high levels of need such as isolated elderly people and disabled groups, and universal wider activities and events designed to create a strong, resilient, happy, and supportive community. We believe that fun, friendships, and helping people help each other makes a happier, healthier community where everyone is included.

We see a core part of our work as providing ways for people to connect and share their time and talents, including a wide range of volunteering opportunities, skills-sharing, and opportunities to socialise and connect neighbours close and far to reduce isolation.

Why not pop in to T&T? There’s so much to get involved with, including:

• Formal/ informal learning opportunities, especially around practical skills like horticulture/ gardening and crafts
• A befriending service for isolated older people, including digital befriending
• A range of groups to increase social connections and build new friendships:Happy Monday Group – a social group for over 60’s
• Social Contact Group – for older women with mental health needs
• Stroke Club, for people recovering from a stroke, and their carers
• Visually Impaired Club for people who have experienced loss of sight
• Growing Talents, our gardening club for all
• A timebank
• A community organising programme to build resources in the community\
• A wide range of community parties, events, and celebrations – because they’re the best way to bring communities together and build supportive relationships
• A range of hosted activities including a Local History Society, Rotherhithe and Bermondsey Choral Society, Creative Writing and Visual Arts group

[button link=”http://www.timeandtalents.org.uk/” size=”large” icon=”fa-globe” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”b70900″ textcolor=”ffffff”]www.timeandtalents.org.uk[/button]