Guest Speaker: Isabelle Clement, Wheels for Wellbeing
Photo shows Alison Dines presenting Isabelle with a cheque for Wheels for Wellbeing in recognition of an excellent presentation.
Following our AGM and appointment of the CI committee for 2018/2019, we were delighted to welcome Isabelle, Director of Wheels for Wellbeing, an award-winning charity based in London that supports disabled people to discover or rediscover cycling. Established in 2007, the charity works with around 1,300 disabled and older people each year, supporting them to discover that they can cycle and helping them grow their cycling ambitions. Isabelle gave an inspirational account not only of her own experience with her handbike, but of the issues facing cyclists with disabilities. The key message was one of huge optimism and empowerment but this needed to be reinforced by groups with similar objectives working together.
As an urban commuter handcyclist, Isabelle has extensive experience of what it takes to create the right environment so everyone can cycle. She hopes to bring an understanding of cycling to disability groups and of disability to cycling groups. She initiated #BeyondTheBicycle, an alliance with parent cyclists and cargo cyclists who encounter many of the same issues as disabled and older cyclists, and has become a leading influencer in the field of inclusive cycling. She is a regular attendee of the UK’s All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group, an elected member of the London Cycling Campaign’s Policy Forum, member of the Joint Committee on Mobility for Disabled People, and an appointed member of Sustran’s London Advisory Board. She speaks regularly on issues relating to disability and cycling.
Her charity continues to work with cycling campaigners and professionals to ensure they realise disabled people do cycle. In 2017, Wheels for Wellbeing produced a comprehensive Guide to Inclusive Cycling, thought to be the first of its kind anywhere. The charity continues to fight to see inclusive cycling becoming the norm in the UK.
Minutes from the AGM will be available shortly and the key office bearers for 2018/2019 are as follows:
Alison Dines confirmed that she would be stepping down from the role of Secretary but would continue with the LCC coordinator role
Eilidh Murray would take on role of Chair, overseeing the activities of CI.
Liz Reiner would become Secretary, responsible for ensuring that each meeting had a chair and a minute-taker, baesd on a rota.
Keith Macfarlane would continue as Treasurer.
Nick Kocharhook, Tabitha Tanqueray, Talia Hussain and Simon Izod would continue as committee members, with Nick leading on council liaison and consultations.
Chris Kenyon and Graeme Parks joined the committee.
Sue Marris proposed the nominations and was seconded by Nick Kocharhook; there were no objections.