The subject of exercise is a bit of a thing with the Wednesday Group right now; the latest idea is an exercise bike project. It’s still very much in the planning stages but there are many local people co-operating to raise money and find the best way of getting elderly people, particularly those who used to enjoy cycling, back on bikes! Of course, safety is of paramount concern in this ambitious project.
The idea is to get the bikes or the pedal exercisers and encourage people to use them by showing videos of cyclists, perhaps members of local cycling clubs, riding in the Retford area among familiar landmarks so that those on the exercise machines feel that they are revisiting places they knew in company with others.
Those working to get this idea off the ground include Andy Jones and friends who are doing a sponsored walk up Snowdon in May, Dominic Battersby of Bridgegate Cycles, Sally Brand of The Time Machine, Di Fisher of The Photo Den, Sian Kirk, Sports Development Officer at BDC and two Occupational Therapy students from Sheffield Hallam University.
It was Andy Jones’ mum, Babs, who inspired the project; she would often talk about cycling holidays she’d enjoyed in the past. The Wednesday Group is immensely grateful for all this help and plans to make the equipment as widely available as possible once it is operational. If you’d like to sponsor the project, contact Jan or call into Bridgegate Cycles and see Dominic.
For more information about the project or the Wednesday Group, contact Jan on 01777 709774 or 07969 180067 or email Janwilliamson133@gmail.com.