How to pay it back

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
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Si
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Re: How to pay it back

Post by Si »

where are you - on the off chance you might be in Birmingham, we are always after volunteers and offer free training for a number of roles. You could even get a job doing bikeability but you would have to make the kids put plastic hats on.
ianrobo
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Re: How to pay it back

Post by ianrobo »

531colin wrote:
ianrobo wrote:I have been looking at trying to pay back my enthusiasm to cycling to especially kids and difficult...........

I'm not sure how "difficult" you want it, :wink: but I was for a while handyman at a couple of childrens' homes. At the time, there was a scheme whereby "suitable" adults could officially "befriend" one of the kids, and it occurred to me that anybody who owned a couple of mountain bikes and a car to drive out to a suitable trail could give one of those kids something priceless. Its fair to say those kids were truly "difficult"...disenfranchised, whatever term you wish to use. But they has all seen things nobody needs to see, particularly kids. At one time suicide of a parent (or accidental overdose) was almost an entry requirement. Its a good 15 years ago, and just thinking about those kids still tears lumps off me. I don't know if the scheme still operates, but I would recommend going carefully, and I think you will need good backup, ie somebody to talk to.

Or, there are several schemes to get people with disabilities cycling....the cycling varies from circuits of a running track to tandems with blind stokers to partially-sighted people cycling off-road on solos. I've done some of that, its pretty rewarding. If you can't Google something local, "Open Country" in Harrogate will certainly have a list of some sort.


Sorry when I said difficult I meant trying to find something suitable and not the kids and what you said is exactly my ambition !
ianrobo
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Re: How to pay it back

Post by ianrobo »

Si wrote:where are you - on the off chance you might be in Birmingham, we are always after volunteers and offer free training for a number of roles. You could even get a job doing bikeability but you would have to make the kids put plastic hats on.


I know grrrr I am in great barr mate
Vorpal
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Re: How to pay it back

Post by Vorpal »

One of the most rewarding things I've done is help out at cycling days for special needs kids, with adapted equipment, such as trikes, recumbents, and hand crank bikes/trikes.

The equipment belonged to TrailNet (Thorndon & Great Notley country parks). I've also taken blind stokers out on our child back tandem.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
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Si
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Re: How to pay it back

Post by Si »

ianrobo wrote:
Si wrote:where are you - on the off chance you might be in Birmingham, we are always after volunteers and offer free training for a number of roles. You could even get a job doing bikeability but you would have to make the kids put plastic hats on.


I know grrrr I am in great barr mate


The guys that do the adapted cycling in Sutton park welcome volunteers.

If you are free during weekdays you can become a paid bikeability instructor in schools...as mentioned you'd have to do the plastic hat thing. ..ive always treated it as a small sacrifice for a greater good.

T Active Wellbeing Society are always after all sorts of volunteers.

If you can put up with tyrannic bosses ;-) you could always train as a bc leader and volunteer on one of my projects to get adults in deprived areas riding, eg kingstanding, Slade Rd etc
ianrobo
Posts: 512
Joined: 12 Jan 2017, 9:52pm

Re: How to pay it back

Post by ianrobo »

Si wrote:
ianrobo wrote:
Si wrote:where are you - on the off chance you might be in Birmingham, we are always after volunteers and offer free training for a number of roles. You could even get a job doing bikeability but you would have to make the kids put plastic hats on.


I know grrrr I am in great barr mate


The guys that do the adapted cycling in Sutton park welcome volunteers.

If you are free during weekdays you can become a paid bikeability instructor in schools...as mentioned you'd have to do the plastic hat thing. ..ive always treated it as a small sacrifice for a greater good.

T Active Wellbeing Society are always after all sorts of volunteers.

If you can put up with tyrannic bosses ;-) you could always train as a bc leader and volunteer on one of my projects to get adults in deprived areas riding, eg kingstanding, Slade Rd etc


It is defo kids I want to try and inspire however I am open, drop me a DM with details
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