Cycling scheme for older people to be rolled out across Scotland

After a promising first pilot in Falkirk, the Scottish Government is launching a £300,000 cycling scheme across the country where volunteers can take older people for bike rides.

The Cycling Without Age (CWA) scheme, which first originated in Denmark, has volunteers ride a ‘trishaw’ with a two-seater carriage attached to the front. CWA aims to combat loneliness and isolation in older people and encourage a more active and social lifestyle, particularly for those with mobility issues that struggle day-to-day and rely on a stairlift.

The Scheme was founded in Copenhagen back in 2012, and has since been rolled out across 37 countries including England and Wales. Although the scheme has only been running in England and Wales since August 2017, there are already 21 ‘chapters’ (local schemes), the main locations being Liverpool, Exeter, London and Brighton.

Christine Bell, CWA’s Executive Officer, is very optimistic about the scheme:“We are delighted the Scottish Government is supporting the need in communities across Scotland for this simple yet powerful initiative. In a society with a growing number of elderly people living in care or alone at home, this project addresses many social and wellbeing concerns. The act of two passengers sharing a trishaw, along with the volunteer pilots, creates new relationships and friendships, which has proven to be one of the most valuable aspects of this project, elderly people are brought back into community life, stories are shared and health, and wellbeing improves for everyone involved.”

Initially the scheme will be launched in Falkirk, East Lothian, Highlands and Islands, Perth and Kinross, and the Scottish Borders, with a view to rolling it out in Fife, South Ayrshire and West Lothian thereafter.

Image credit: Tormod Hansen, Pixabay