City of Bristol College continues to partner with Warmley Wheelers, a unique cycle scheme run by Milestones Trust. This collaboration is set to make cycling more accessible to learners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) by providing opportunities to try specialist bicycles in a supportive and inclusive environment.
Warmley Wheelers is a charity initiative that enables individuals with health conditions or additional needs to enjoy cycling, even if traditional bikes aren’t an option. With a wide variety of adapted bicycles, such as wheelchair platform bikes, recumbent bikes, trikes and battery-assisted options, they cater to a diverse range of needs. Tandem bikes allow carers or family members to share the ride and the scheme offers safe cycling spaces, including the scenic Bristol to Bath railway path and Warmley Forest Park.
Recently, Warmley Wheelers brought several bikes to a college SEND workshop, where learners had the chance to test the equipment with expert guidance and support.
Warmley Wheelers Project Coordinator, Edouard Guidon, commented: “Warmley Wheelers is an all-inclusive cycling project located along the Bristol to Bath Railway Path at Warmley Station. It is open to the general public and focuses on providing cycling opportunities to people with support needs, learning disabilities, physical disabilities and long-term health conditions.
“Our location ensures that riders are able to experience varied cycling conditions that take them out into the countryside – and to finish off their ride with a treat from the Warmley Waiting Room cafe. Our fleet incorporates battery-assisted cycles, a cycle with a platform for wheelchairs, recumbent cycles and a wide variety of trikes; meanwhile, our tandems ensure that our riders can go out with their carer, friends or family members.
“We had a brilliant time at the college and felt privileged to give students the opportunity to get on a cycle. That’s the beauty of this project – it enables people to experience cycling when they might have thought that it wasn’t or couldn’t be for them. It always means a lot to see the reaction of the students when they discovered what they were capable of – and to support the college staff to bring new opportunities to their students.
“Our hope is to be able to provide regular opportunities for students, whether it’s by coming up to the college or by arranging special sessions down in Warmley, where the students might be able to experience cycling along the path and seeing a different part of the world at a different pace.”
Jacob Sanders, Community Campus Lead at City of Bristol College, highlighted the importance of the event, saying: “This event marks the start of a community partnership between City of Bristol College and Warmley Wheelers. As a cyclist myself, I’m fully aware of the benefits cycling can have on mental and physical health. I wanted to create an opportunity for our SEND learners to experience something they thought may not have been accessible.
“We have plans for this collaboration to grow into a regular activity for learners at our Ashley Down campus. Additionally, our engineering and automotive students from the Parkway and AEC campuses will play a vital role in maintaining and building Warmley Wheelers’ fleet of bicycles, ensuring that they stay on the road. A huge thank you to Edouard and the team at Warmley Wheelers for making this possible.”
Special Educational Needs Lecturer, Corinne Eagle, noted the positive impact on the learners, saying: “They’ve been really excited to try out the bikes. We didn’t tell them too much before coming in to avoid any potential anxiety, but it ended up being a lovely surprise for them on their last day before the Christmas break.”
This collaboration is just the beginning of a wider partnership aimed at promoting inclusivity, fitness and hands-on learning.
For more information about Warmley Wheelers and the incredible work that they do, simply click here.
