East Dunbartonshire Cycle Co-operative
ED’s Cycle Co-op aims to promote cycling to children and adults in East Dunbartonshire. ED’s Cycle Co-op is a not for profit community social enterprise that is registered as a Scottish Company. There are currently four member of the board, who are all volunteers for the project.
Alasdair Macdonald is a committed cyclist, former Head Teacher at secondary schools, and currently a Sustrans Group Co-ordinator for Glasgow.
Angus MacFadyen is a local parent with children attending a Bishopbriggs primary school.
Anne McNair is a keen cyclist and currently a local East Dunbartonshire councillor for the North Bishopbriggs & Torrace Ward.
Mark Kiehlmann is a member of CTC Scotland, and a Bikeabilty Scotland cycle tutor and a Platinum Weld Tech Cycle Mechanic, with three children attending a Bishopbriggs primary and nursery schools.
ED’s Cycle Co-op, grant funded by Climate Challenge Fund, Cycling Scotland and Sustrans, has had outstanding impact revealed in the local figures of the Sustrans Hands Up Survey data, conducted in September 2010:
Nearly a 5% point modal shift in cycling to primary schools in just in one year;
Over 7% of pupils cycling to primary school across 7 primaries in Bishopbriggs, more than double the Scottish National average in 2009 (3%);
And one, St Matthew’s Primary School, at almost 20%, double the Scottish Government target of 10% journeys by bike by 2020, ten years ahead of schedule.
Below is a summary of ED’s Cycle Co-op’s activities to date; the result of dedicated community action, leading a partnership approach that has included East Dunbartonshire Council, Scottish Ambulance Service and Solid Rock Cycles:
A four fold expansion of the St. Matthew’s Primary School Cycle Club, from 32 to 128 participants, receiving cycle skills, cycle mechanics, first aid and escorted rides looking at the natural and cultural heritage on local off and on road routes around East Dunbartonshire; the inaugural Bishopbriggs Cycle Festival, with around 1,000 participants;
A six week Cycling Scotland driver awareness campaign, ‘Give me Cycle Space’, designed to encourage drivers to give children cycling to school more room to ride on the road;
Publication of the Cycle Map of East Dunbartonshire, with 10,000 copies printed and distributed to Cycle shops, Libraries and Leisure Centres, and one to each of the 8,000 primary pupils in East Dunbartonshire, delivered on budget and on time for the school summer break;
A programme of summer rides that included day trips around the Isle of Cumbrae, Glasgow Sky Ride and over 100 riders on this years Pedal for Scotland, with complementary transport for Bishopbriggs families provided by the event organisers, Cycling Scotland;
Guinness World Record attempt at simultaneous bike bell ringing to the tune of the Blue Danube on European Car Free Day which was broadcast live on Classic FM to over 2.9 million UK listeners, shown on STV Day Break and included 2,500 nursery, primary and secondary pupils from Bishopbriggs, East Renfrewshire, Moray, Aberdeenshire and Edinburgh;
Over 1,000 hours of cycle training been delivered by 10 qualified cycle trainers, all of whom are also certified Weld Tech cycle mechanics.
ED’s Cycle Co-op are also delighted that so many UK organisations have recognised their approach to cycle promotion and the impact they have had. This has resulted in ED’s Cycle Co-op picking up a number of awards including:
Sustainable School Travel (ModeShift) ‘Cycle Initiative of the Year 2009′, runner up, St. Matthew’s Primary School Cycle Club;
Cycling Touring Club ‘Volunteer of the Year 2009 for the UK and Scotland’, Mark Kiehlmann;
UK Bike Week ‘Cycle Festival Image of 2010′, Bishopbriggs Cycle Fest
