Cycling Without Age (CWA) is an Irish charity. It’s a nationwide award-winning, volunteer-led, social initiative. Its purpose is to take people unable to walk or cycle for themselves due to illness or disability, for free, slow-cycling spins in their community on specially designed trishaw bicycles piloted by volunteer cyclists. We move gently, at walking pace, on a comfy bench seat, with seat belts, and warm blankets. Our passengers may be residents in care homes, community hospitals, day-care centres, or those living at home. CWA gives them the opportunity to get out and feel the wind in their hair. We let people know how to obtain these bikes, how to train to be a volunteer pilot, and we promote the concept of enjoying cycling for all ages and abilities.
CWA, a Danish concept, was brought to Ireland in 2017 by volunteer Clara Clark. We now have 65 trishaws all around Ireland, with hundreds of people getting out for free spins on a regular basis. We promote the benefits of CWA and inform the public on how to get actively involved. We give advice to organisations including companies, local authorities and care homes on how to get a CWA trishaw. We manage the social media and the website for CWA Ireland., www.cyclingwithoutage.ie We offer advice and guidance to those getting their own trishaw; we pilot train the volunteers; we answer any questions owners and operators may have. We handle all the media and public enquiries and interviews.
We have an active presence on the CWA Facebook Group Cycling Without Age – Ireland, on Twitter/X (@age_cycling), LinkedIn, and as a member organisation of the Irish Cycling Campaign, www.irishcyclingcampaign.ie . We actively engage with local authorities and organisations who wish to know more about our initiative; we attend relevant conferences & events.
CWA has even bigger dreams: to have a trishaw available to most towns; to encourage and promote social prescribing, asking medics to suggest trishaw rides to their patients; and to encourage more sustainable and active travel for all ages and abilities. Active and sustainable travel can replace journeys made by car with cycling and walking.
By encouraging people to invest in CWA trishaws it makes visible possible active travel options for older and less-able people. This visibility helps to integrate our older and less able citizens back into our communities. To accommodate all ages and abilities, we liaise with local authorities seeking the creation of safer and segregated cycling infrastructure.
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