Dodder Valley Cycling

Description

Alan has brought a Cycling Without Age Trishaw to Dodder Valley Park, via SDCC funding. He did fundraising and used his own money to meet the additional costs such as a storage shed (which is on the grounds of Sally Park Nursing Home) and insurance. The trishaw allows older people and less mobile people to have leisurely spins through the park, enjoying the outdoors and the company of the volunteer trishaw pilot.

Dodder Valley Cycling linked up with Sally Park Nursing Home and Kiltipper Nursing Home to give the residents regular opportunities to be cycled around the park. This happens at least weekly, and more often if the nursing home has the staff to bring residents out. A carer can ride in the trishaw with the older person.

The trishaw is also available for the general public to book on the website. Ireland’s oldest person was recently a passenger on the trishaw to celebrate her 109th birthday. Many people make a booking for their parents, older friends and neighbours. And some of the older people book for themselves. It is very easy to make a booking, as it can be done via the website or by phone.

A number of volunteer pilots have been trained to cycle the trishaw safely in the park. As soon as a booking request comes in, a volunteer pilot agrees to meet the person in one of four meeting places in Dodder Valley Park, and the fun begins.

Aim of Initiative

To allow older people and less able people to enjoy the wind in their hair as they are cycled comfortably around in one of our beautiful outdoor resources. The trishaw initiative promotes inclusion, access to the outdoors, and intergenerational interactions between the volunteers and the passengers. It is free for everyone to use.

Who is it aimed at

Older people, and people who are less mobile; anyone who is unable to cycle a bike for themselves.

3 Steps critical to success

1. Securing funding and permission to set up the initiative in the Park.
   Ordering the trishaw from Copenhagen.
   Alan had to learn all about the cycling without age initiative, values and workings.
   Finding a place to store the trishaw safely.
2. Recruiting and training volunteers (about 20 sofar and ongoing).
   Creating a website with booking.
   Promoting the project.
3. Managing all the bookings and enquiries (ongoing).
   Bringing people out for a magical journey (ongoing).
   Keeping volunteers trained and engaged, and ongoing recruitment.
   Ongoing promotion of the project.

3 Challenges in Planning / Delivery

1. I didn’t run this project- am nominating someone else but I think the main challenges were securing funding and permission to set up the initiative in the Park
2. Finding a place to store the trishaw. Getting a shed, and arranging with nursing home to build it in their garden to allow easy access to the park.
3. It is very time consuming to train the volunteers and to manage the bookings and the promotion of the project. This will hopefully get easier when volunteers are experienced enough to train others, and when the right volunteers arrive to help with bookings and promotion.

3 Outcomes / Benefits

1. Many people who had never been in Dodder Valley Park before, or had not been mobile enough to go there in many years have been enjoying the outdoors, with good company.
2. Volunteers are engaged in the community, and are happy to give their time to improve the lives of other people in their community.
3. After the success of the trishaw, Dodder Valley Cycling has secured funding from a corporate sponsor to buy a wheelchair bike. This will allow non-ambulatory wheelchair users to enjoy the park in a new, fun and social way.