Guildford
Welcome!
We aim to reach and improve the lives of older adults who feel isolated in our area by offering free trishaw rides. We believe life should be full of joy and surprises whether you’re three or one hundred and three.
About the Chapter
We take older adults out for trishaw rides so they are seen and feel part of their local community. They get to feel the wind in their hair, see what’s going on, sing if they want to and do something different.
The amazing thing is that people of all ages smile when they see the trishaw and wave at our passengers. We cycle slowly so it’s easy to stop to take a closer look at something or have a chat with someone.
Each ride makes a connection and an experience which may be remembered or spoken about. For those with dementia, the event itself may not be recalled afterwards but it is still a positive experience which can contribute to a person’s wellbeing. It’s especially lovely for families of people with dementia to see them enjoying the rides.
Around the globe, there are thousands of trishaws and they are often given names. Ours is called Audrey after the mother of Caroline who wanted to set up the group for Guildford. She knew her mum would have loved going for a ride, especially as it doesn’t look like a wheelchair!
Local Connections
Working with local care homes, sheltered housing and day centres, we take their residents, members and other individuals out for rides to explore our area slowly and see what’s going on. We have taken people around Onslow Village including the arboretum, around the Cathedral and also around Stoke Park.
Book a Ride
People can come on their own and we will provide a friendly companion or they can bring a friend, relative or carer to share the ride. We can arrange transport to and from the ride locations if necessary.
Please call Caroline on 01483 457645 or email cwaguildford@yahoo.com to book or make arrangements.
Volunteer with Us
Our volunteers are DBS checked and trained to ride our trishaw. The trishaw is power-assisted and a guiding principle is to cycle very slowly so it’s easy to chat with passengers and develop friendships.
You don’t need to be a super fit cyclist to become a pilot (the volunteers who do the cycling), just friendly and aged 18 and over.
When taking out a trishaw you’ll either be the pilot who cycles the trishaw or the companion who cycles or walks ahead/alongside to point things out such as potholes and also to help get passengers in and out of the trishaw in a safe manner.
Please get in touch if you’d like to volunteer and email cwaguildford@yahoo.com in the first instance.
Donate
We are a registered charity (number 1183163) and rely totally on donations and grants to cover the operational costs of maintenance, insurance, marketing etc. You can make a donation by bank transfer to:
- Account Name: Cycling Without Age – Guildford
- Sort Code: 30-97-77
- Account Number: 23177768