We launched Cycling Without Age Sheffield in spring 2019 with Rhubarb the tri-bike and have been taking residents out from care homes in the Nether Edge and Broomhall areas on a weekly basis since then (apart from Covid-related breaks). In 2021 we expanded to a second location after being gifted ‘Ginger’ (though Sheffield City Region funding), who is based up in Lowedges. While our core service is providing weekly rides out for care home residents, we also schedule irregular park-based sessions, and our new ‘Doorstep Rides’ initiative for people with mobility challenges living independently in Lowedges or Jordanthorpe.
We take out passengers with a range of mobility restrictions and also living with dementia. They need to be able to shuffle backwards into the seat (the footrest drops to ground level or there is a cut out section, care home staff can help with this) and support themselves to sit in the well padded seat with a lap belt. We have a very warm blanket. We don’t generally go out if it is raining, but if we get caught in a shower we have ponchos we can use.
Below is a brief overview of these different services, with a warm invitation to use our Contact Us form to get in touch if you would like to partner with us.
Care Home rides
We love working with care homes to give rides out to their residents. We usually have a weekly slot and a few different parks that we visit: the Botanical Gardens, Endcliffe Park, the General Cemetery in S11/S10 and Graves and Greenhill parks in S8. Care home staff choose which residents ride out with us, and sometimes ride along too as the second passenger depending on support needs. Family members also welcome as second passengers. As we collect passengers from your door, any new care homes interested in collaborating on regular rides with us needs to be located within a 10 minute cycle of Nuffield Health (S11 8HA) or in Lowedges or Jordanthorpe. If you are too far from our bases, then we are happy to offer you ‘park-based sessions’ instead.
This is what Roy of Grange Crescent Residential Care Home had to say about his ride:
“As an OAP I have been amazed to see little children riding 2-wheeled bicycles. I got my first bike at age 11 (passed the 11-plus!). Now on Thursday from 10:30-12:30 I and my cosy companion can mount the 3 cosy seats on a 3-wheeler ridden by a healthy young woman who volunteers for “Cycling Without Age Sheffield”. We trickled through the traffic to Endcliffe Park where there are many children riding bikes. We enjoy them and the ponds, streams, fish and ducks and eventually end up in the lovely woodland and arrive at the War Memorial. It attracts many of course who are moved by the words, sculptures and flags. As an ex-lance corporal in the infantry, I wanted to salute but I salute the system that got me to such a moving place on a 3-wheeler.”
Park based sessions
While our regular care home rides are limited to care home partners living close to our bases, with a bit of notice we can offer one off ride sessions within one of the lovely Sheffield Parks (all the ones mentioned above, plus others including Norfolk Park, Weston Park and Mount Pleasant park). We arrange to meet a group at the park, you organise transport to/from, and we can give any number of loops round the park, swapping pairs on and off the bike.
We also run frequent ride sessions in the Botanical Gardens and Norfolk Park for the Age UK Dementia Wellbeing Centres located in these, and other various park events especially in the summer. Ideas are very welcome!
Doorstep Rides
We have recently starting up our ‘Doorstep Rides’ service in Lowedges and Jordanthorpe, offering rides to people living independently but who find it tricky to get out. We are collaborating with The Terminus Initiative who provide an introduction service for us, and a pilot is matched with an interested local resident. We start with a short taster session just outside the person’s home. If everyone enjoys it, each pilot and resident arranges a number of rides over a couple of months, visiting parks such as Greenhill Park and Graves Park. Friends and partners are very welcome to come along. If you are interested in arranging rides for yourself or other people please contact Joy at the Terminus Initiative: 0759 9010 452 or http://www.terminusinitiative.org or via Facebook.
We are also very keen to recruit new pilots specifically for the Doorstep Rides and who would enjoy working in a one-to-one way and preferably living local or nearby to S8.
CWA Sheffield 