Initially set us as part of an initiative to support children at risk of exclusion from school, Sara Park Community Cycle Club is now a standalone club for all members of the community. After a tremendous effort from all the volunteers involved, the club is a resounding success with the local community.
One of the most important aspects of creating and running a Community Cycle Club is making sure those who take part have access to a bike. With this in mind, the volunteers of the newly-formed Sara Park CCC applied for several grants, with help from Vanessa Morris, one of Cycling UK's Cycling Development Officers in the West Midlands. These funds allowed the club to purchase a fleet of bikes, as well as access to a secure container in which to store them.
After securing access to suitable bikes, the next step of any fledgeling club is to get the word out and promote their activities. The volunteers of Sara Park CCC went about this in several ways. In an effort to engage with younger cyclists, the club ran sessions with local schools. The club has also found new members by promoting the group in a local supermarket. This is a great way of reaching a wider audience in the local community and was a great success.
We are a family at Sara Park and we aim to make our rides a part of social cohesion,
beneficial to our health and finally, yet importantly, fun!Jacqui Daniels, Sara Park CCC Volunteer
Sara Park CCC now has a large base of regular participants, as well as a team of dedicated volunteers who work tirelessly to keep the club running. It offers several different regular activities, including family rides and cycle tuition. The club's led rides often have a turnout of 20-25 cyclists and the group has recently teamed up with another local club to run events.
