December 21, 2023

Barrow’s Travel Actively Development Officer, Siona Hartley, and Westmorland and Furness Community Development Officer, Kevin Bell, recently visited Glasgow Bike for Good, a cycling charity, using bikes to do good actions, enabling people to cycle as their mode of transport. They refurbish, repair and teach communities how to maintain bicycles, as well as build skills and confidence in people to ride safely, and enjoy the feeling and freedom of cycling.

The purpose of the trip, which also included an additional visit to the East of Glasgow, to St Pauls Youth Forum, was to learn and see in action, two inspirational bike projects, and how they are making a difference in their communities. Barrow currently doesn’t have a Rebike Scheme, where bikes can be repurposed to go back into the community, and where training and support can be given to enable people to enjoy a lifetime of enjoyment on their bikes.

Our ambition for Barrow, as part of this Travel Actively Social Prescribing Pilot funding opportunity, is to work with advocates and people passionate within the community to develop schemes and opportunities, which will enable active travel. This is especially important for those audiences, such as the elderly of those with disabilities, to be enabled to access different and safe ways to get around, including cycling, walking and wheeling.

Whilst Glasgow Bike for Good are sixteen years in the making, with numerous projects up and running, our ambition for Barrow’s active travel future, includes some of the following initiatives: a workshop to take your bike, to carry our repairs with support from mechanics; bikes refurbished by Cytech trained experts instead of going to landfill; weekly bike confidence sessions; bikes and E Bikes on loan; women only bike rides and family led sessions; inclusive sessions using adapted bikes; bike maintenance courses teaching the basic skills to all communities; cargo bike loans for businesses; build a bike from scratch courses for young people, and so on.

If you are someone with a passion for bikes and active travel in all forms, and you want to support people within your community, please contact us at travelactively@cumberland.gov.uk.