THERE will be even more opportunities for people of all abilities to saddle up in Stratford, thanks to funding from Sport England.
Heart of England Mencap, which supports local people with learning disabilities, has been granted more than £4,000 to add to its growing fleet of accessible bikes. They are available for free inclusive cycling sessions, open to all each week on Stratford’s Recreation Ground.
The grant – totalling £4,022 – has come from Sport England’s Together Fund, set up to tackle some of the impacts of the pandemic, particularly around minority groups gaining access to sport, leisure and social community activities.
It will enable Heart of England Mencap to purchase two new trikes, safety equipment and adaptive cycle training for nine of the charity’s employees – meaning its weekly Cyc-Ability sessions can gear up for even more riders in the New Year.
Kate Buttrick, Health and Wellbeing Programme Manager for Heart of England Mencap, said: “When we heard about the funding we applied straight away. We’d like to say a big thank you to Sport England on behalf of everyone who gets so much out of our Cyc-Ability sessions already – and a big thank you to Royal Mencap Society who were instrumental in facilitating this grant for us too.
“The money will have a huge impact, meaning Heart of England Mencap is able to reach more people with a learning disability or autism, who still face many barriers engaging with social and physical activities in their community. We believe that any person, of any ability, should have the opportunity to enjoy having fun in their community and that’s what Cyc-Ability is all about.”
Heart of England Mencap’s fleet of bikes includes side-by-side cycles and a wheelchair adapted trike, with a team of specially trained staff on hand to help everyone saddle up safely.
Cyc-Ability is open to all, with free sessions on the Recreation Ground from 10.30am to 12 noon every Thursday. Evening and weekend sessions can be arranged too.
For more information call Kate on 07791 394276 or email [email protected]
