Cycling Without Age Now Live In 3 Fingal Locations As Skerries Spins Into Action
Fingal County Council has launched a third Cycling Without Age location as the scheme for older people and those with mobility issues starts operation in Skerries this week.
Cycling Without Age is a movement that started in Denmark in 2012 by Ole Kassow. Ole wanted to help the elders get back on their bicycles, but he had to find a solution to their limited mobility. The answer was a trishaw and he started offering free bike rides to the local nursing home residents. In 2021 Fingal County Council took delivery of their first trishaw bikes and began working to provide cycling experiences across the county.
Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, AnnMarie Farrelly says: ‘Our Active Travel unit is delivering a network of cycling and walking routes connecting Fingal’s towns and villages. It is very important to us as an organisation that this work is inclusive and that anyone who wants to cycle, or walk can access the supports they need to do so. Cycling Without Age is focussed on inclusivity and fun. The project welcomes those with mobility issues to enjoy the feeling of great freedom that you experience when you’re cycling in the great outdoors.’
Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Howard Mahony, welcomed the continued expansion of the project. ‘Cycling Without Age is now live in 4 Fingal locations at St Catherine’s Park Lucan, in Skerries, in Santry and in Baldoyle which launched earlier this week. The project is proving very popular, and I am delighted to see so many volunteers coming forward to give back to their communities by becoming bike pilots. This project is not only providing positive cycling experiences for those who might otherwise miss out, it is also strengthening the connections between the older and younger people in our communities.’
Cycling Without Age is a free of charge experience which can be booked by anyone with a mobility issue or by older people who no longer feel confident to cycle independently. Cycle trips can be booked online at https://www.fingal.ie/activetravel/mobility/cycling-without-age-fingal and are run by local volunteers at each location. Current locations are:
- Northwood Demesne, Santry
- St. Catherine’s Park, Lucan
- South Strand, Skerries
Director of Services for Fingal’s department of Environment, Climate Action and Active Travel, David Storey says: ‘Cycling is not just for those who enjoy doing long distances for fitness or as a hobby. Most of our older population can remember a time when every household had a bike at the front door for the trips to school or the local shop. We believe that as Ireland shifts to cleaner, greener transport that we can return to taking most local journeys on foot or by bike.’
Fingal County Council say feedback from those who try Cycling Without Age is extremely positive. The trishaws are now open for booking and the Active Travel unit welcomes anyone who is interested to book a trip or consider signing up as a volunteer bike pilot in their locality.
Find out more about this and other Active Travel initiatives at www.fingal.ie/activetravel
