Disability charity Enable Jersey, has announced its upcoming Wheels For All cycling festival which sets out to remove barriers to cycling, especially for people with disabilities, and encouraging everyone of all abilities to get in the saddle. Enable Jersey are dedicated to ensuring that people with disabilities can enjoy a life without limits and the festival marks the start of their 50th anniversary year celebrations.
The Wheels For All festival , which will be held at Les Quennevais Sports Centre on Saturday 12 October from 11:00 – 15:00, is being organised by Enable Jersey in partnership with Move More Jersey – an initiative by Jersey Sport – which aims to make physical activity more accessible and helps more islanders to become more active, more often. The festival is a cycling taster event run with the help of UK cycling charity, Cycling Projects and will feature the opportunity for disabled islanders to try a range of adaptive cycles. Other charities who provide island activities for the disabled, along with food and entertainment stalls will also be at the event.
Clair Cousins, Chairperson at Enable Jersey said:
“We are thrilled to be working in partnership with Jersey Sport and to be sponsoring such an inclusive, family event. The benefits of cycling for the disabled are just the same as for the able-bodied. It’s fun, gives independent mobility, enables social connections and promotes physical and mental well-being. People living with a disability need more opportunities to enjoy an active life and to access everything that our island has to offer.”
Cirsty de Gruchy, Move More Jersey Manager at Jersey Sport said:
“We are extremely grateful to Enable Jersey for their sponsorship which means we can run the Wheels For All cycling festival. This means that we have the opportunity to showcase the potential and need for a Wheels For All Centre on island to give the opportunity for more people to get on their bike and move more – no matter what their ability. This is just another example of Move More Jersey in action working with a key partner to get more islanders, more active, more often.”
If the event proves to be popular, and subject to acquiring funding, Enable Jersey and Jersey Sport hope to establish a permanent Wheels For All Centre. The centre, equipped with specially adapted cycles and trained volunteers, would provide people of all abilities with more opportunity to regularly enjoy the benefits of cycling, either independently or as part of a group.
Wheels For All is a free event, open from 11:00 – 15:00. More information about attending, reserving a cycling session, getting involved as a volunteer or supporting the project can be found on Move More Jersey’s Facebook page @MoveMoreJersey (www.facebook.com/movemorejersey), or by contacting Cirsty de Gruchy on 01534 757708.
