Page 10 - Real Rochdale Issue 12 Winter 2021

CYCLING WITHOUT AGE:
CONNECTING WITH THE
GREAT OUTDOORS
Councillor Amna Mir, Councillor Daalat Ali, Dianne David (back
in high-viz) with passengers and Councillor Janet Emsley
A new initiative to improve the lives of older people who are
feeling socially isolated and lonely officially launched in
September at Hare Hill Extra Care in Littleborough.
Non-profit group Rochdale Cycling Without
Age aims to tackle loneliness by taking senior
citizens out into the community on free bike
rides, using a specially adapted ‘trishaw’ – a
three-wheel cycle with a passenger cab in
front.
Started by Dianne David, of Littleborough,
who used to work in the adult care sector,
Rochdale Cycling Without Age took several
senior citizens out into the fresh air during the
launch at the Rochdale Boroughwide Housing
scheme.
The cost of the trishaw was part-funded by
the Pennines Township earlier this year and
REAL ROCHDALE - WINTER 2021 10
“A number of councillors from Pennines
local councillors had the chance to ride as
passengers on the day.
Dianne said: “The weather was truly awful,
but we still managed to have a great day. We
took some older people out on our brand-new
trishaw and they thoroughly enjoyed
themselves.
“One lady dressed up for the occasion and
brought a Union Jack to wave whilst on the
ride. The passengers gave really positive
feedback with one saying, ‘I loved the fresh air,
meeting people and I haven’t done anything
like this for years’ and another saying she had
a brilliant time and found it exciting.”
“We would also like people who want to
Township, who contributed a large percentage
of the funding for the trishaw, attended and
some of them had a go as passengers. They
loved the idea and pledged to continue to
support the project,” said Dianne.
“The comments support our belief that we can
improve the lives of older people who are
feeling socially isolated and lonely by getting
them out and about in the fresh air on the
trishaw.”
Rochdale Cycling Without Age has also been
chosen as the beneficiary charity of the year
by NCompass, an organisation which supports
unpaid carers in their caring role. Funds raised
by NCompass will go towards the costs of a
second trishaw.
Dianne added: “The representatives were
blown away by the trishaw and the fun that
the passengers were having.”
She continued: “We are now looking for older
people with mobility issues who are socially
isolated or lonely to get in touch so that we
can arrange to take them out on trishaw rides.
Photo: Cycling without Age, licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
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become volunteer pilots to get in touch.”
Rochdale Cycling Without Age was borne out
of the global Cycling Without Age
movement, which tackles the loneliness and
isolation experienced by senior citizens when
they become confined to their own homes.
Having recently reached the UK, Cycling
Without Age was launched in Copenhagen
in 2012 by Ole Kassow, enabling volunteers
to visit local care and senior citizen facilities
around the community to offer residents an
opportunity to be a passenger.
Since launching, communities over the UK
have been inspired to rally together and fund
more trishaws so that they can offer local
elderly residents the freedom to get outdoors
and explore the world around them.
For more information, or to express
interest in volunteering, please contact
Rochdale Cycling Without Age via Facebook,
email rochdale@cyclingwithoutage.org.uk or
call 01706 508140.
REAL ROCHDALE - WINTER 2021