Inclusive Cycling Opportunities Launch at Basildon Sporting Village

ON YOUR BIKE! 

 

In a collaboration between Sport For Confidence, Basildon Simply Cycling and Everyone Active, more people will now be able to enjoy the joys of cycling. 

 

 

This month, the partnership has launched a weekly cycling session, offering a range of adaptive bicycles to enable those who may have struggled to access cycling in the past, get involved. The sessions run on a Thursday, 10am – 11.00am and are open to everyone on a pre-booked basis. 

 

Each session will be run by a Sport For Confidence occupational therapist and sports coach, with the range of specialist bicycles supplied and maintained by Basildon Simply Cycling. The sessions take place on the athletics track at Basildon Sporting Village, managed by Everyone Active in partnership with Basildon Council. Carers are also welcome to join in, either using their own bicycle or making use of one the bicycles provided. 

 

Sport For Confidence, occupational therapist, Megan Potts, says: “Being able to provide adaptive bikes in an environment that fully embraces the individual needs of those involved, means we can create an opportunity for more people to engage in an activity that so many of us take for granted. Through these sessions, we can manage positive risk taking to encourage self-belief, confidence and skill development.” 

 

The bicycles used during the sessions are being supplied and maintained by local cycling specialists and suppliers, Basildon Simply Cycling. Chris Blomeley, Project Director at Basildon Simply Cycling, adds: “I have been lucky enough to enjoy the pleasures of cycling all of my life and it gives me great satisfaction being able to open the sport up to new participants. At the moment we are able to offer 10 adaptive bikes that can accommodate a range of physical and mental disabilities and we hope, as the sessions grow in popularity, we can add more.” 

 

 

The athletics track at Basildon Sporting Village provides the perfect venue for the cycling sessions. Shaun Beagle, contract manager at Everyone Active, says: “Our ambition is to enable as many people as possible to enjoy a wide range of sports and physical activities at the centre. This latest initiative is a great example of how we are working with local specialists to deliver adaptive sessions to help more people to be more active, more often.” 

 

 

To register interest in the cycling sessions, contact Megan Potts at: info@sportforconfidence.com. Megan will then conduct a one to one assessment to match a need to a suitable bicycle. 

 

 

For more information about Sport For Confidence and to view the complete timetable of activities at Basildon Sporting Village, visit sportforconfidence.com and select the Our Services tab and click on the ' Leisure Centres' option, where all of our time tables can be found.