Introduction
In 2018-19 BIKEast received Community grants from Woollahra and City of Sydney Councils to purchase a trishaw. This was to operate and promote the Cycling Without Age Australia (CWAA) rides program. We also served two other trishaws during this period. This reports our achievements since our end of 2019 Acquittal Report (achievements).
CWAA program achievements
In the 18 months from January 2020 to end June 2021 our program has been at times stalled due to the coronavirus restrictions and lockdowns. Despite that, BIKEast was able to achieve the following:
- Trained eight new pilots, assisted with training eight new pilots for the Parramatta Chapter and with a further nine registered for training. Fifteen pilots volunteer actively with BIKEast, while a further six we trained operate elsewhere.
- Promotion and expansion at home care facilities and several events and places, including at the Gaden Centre, Holdsworth Community; Wetherill Park for Western Sydney Cycling Network; Parramatta Park (four events); BaptistCare-Shalom Centre (three events), and events at Parkes.
- Reached and updated partnership agreements under Memorandums of Understanding with Holdsworth Community, Montefiore Randwick, PAC-The Terraces Paddington; and drafts to The Burger Centre (now signed), Catholic Care, Anglicare, with many other care facility and care providers approached.
- Submitted five applications for grants to support and expand the CWAA program locally, with two successful under the Stronger Communities Programme, Round 6 for Electorates of:
- Wentworth, Dave Sharma MP – $2,500 towards IT equipment to manage an expanded CWAA program;
- Kingsford-Smith, Matt Thistlethwaite MP – $17,000 to buy a trishaw and fully equip it.
CWAA program rides
Under the program we like to plan a minimum of 100 annual events with 3 ride trips per event. Due to coronavirus and adverse weather many planned events were abandoned.
Our successful actions and achievements over the 18 months to 30 June 2021, is summarised below:
- Rides events: 53 during 2020 and 94 for 1st half of 2021; five special public days held; and 11 pilot training rides – a total of 168 bike trips, with 408 kilometres travelled on BIKEast’s trishaw. Montefiore’s trishaw was served for 9 of the above ride events and IRT Woolwich for 1, after which that trishaw was transferred to Wollongong and is no longer available to us.
- Total passengers carried 291. Of these, 208 were residents in care support; 10 were children (4 with disabilities) and 71 adults carried being care home staff, guardians or other persons providing support to passengers in care, including the Mayor and the Crier of Parkes.
- Volunteer contributions: Pilots and assistants time approx., 330 hours with program management time approx., 180 hours (Amount-in-kind ABS based time valuation = Total of $18,335).
- No incidents causing damage or loss of property or personal injury have occurred.
Acknowledgements
The CWAA Sydney Chapter’s program of rides is very dependant on BIKEast Inc., for Executive support, funding and for member pilots serving as volunteers. The program is also very dependent on Bicycle NSW for support, particularly for insurances required to operate BIKEast’s trishaw.
BIKEast acknowledges Montefiore Randwick for its continuing participation and early support by training many of our pilots about cultural, health and safety requirements and paying for necessary police checks to allow pilots to serve adults with care support needs.
We operate under Memorandums of Understanding with care homes and care providers. Past and current agreements are with: IRT Woolwich (our 1st MoU); Montefiore Randwick; PAC-The Terraces Paddington; Holdsworth Community; and the Burger Centre, Montefiore. We have a number of MoU’s under offer and consideration and would welcome entering into further such arrangements.
Thanks all around to everyone involved. Without that continuing support the CWAA program of rides would fail. Its long-term sustainability will increasing rely on more donations and further grants.
Note: Any errors in Rides Schedules and in this report are the author’s, who has management responsibility for the program.
Prepared by: Adrian Boss
BIKEast’s CWAA Sydney Chapter Community Captain
26 August 2021