Meet CTC's 'Team Scotland'
The CTC staff team in Scotland has quietly grown to a historic high of 3.25 people over the last four years as cycling development funding has been secured to work with people and communities that face significant barriers to cycling.
Bryan and Carrie are the newest recruits to the Bike Club project, run in partnership with Youth Scotland, the national network of youth clubs and groups. Bike Club has been working with young people in Scotland since 2010, focusing on supporting young people from minority ethnic communities, young people with disabilities and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to get cycling. This, third, phase of Bike Club will be supporting 30 young people across Glasgow, Fife, Falkirk, Stirling and Clackmannanshire to set up Bike Clubs in their own community. Each of the young people will be supported by Bryan and Carrie to increase their employability by working through a personal development pathway, to develop leadership skills and grow in confidence to act as a leader and peer mentor to other young people in their Bike Club.
Bike Club isn't about the bike. We know from our work over the last two years that young people have achieved a range of outcomes from Bike Club; such as improved health and wellbeing, learning opportunities, leadership skills, confidence, self esteem, the opportunity to participate in a safe, fun, team activity and a sense of independence. As Carrie points out, ‘Bike Club.. is an opportunity to build personal and social skills through cycling'.
Polly Jarman joined us in April to manage the Play on Pedals pre-school project. The project is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and winner of the 2014 Dream Fund. Play on Pedals will enable all four year olds across Glasgow to learn how to ride a bike before starting school and is a partnership between CTC, Cycling Scotland, the Glasgow Bike Station and Play Scotland. Play on Pedals is recognised by Glasgow City Council as a community based Commonwealth Games legacy project delivering a very positive legacy pre and post Games.
The best part of my job is watching the excitement of children and the progress they make over a short period of time and seeing the confidence of volunteer instructors increase during these training sessions - many participants have not been on a bike in years themselves but soon lose their inhibitions as they learn alongside the children.”
Polly Jarman
CTC Cycling Development Officer
As the 0.25 part of the team, my focus is on increasing the capacity of CTC to work in Scotland; by bringing in additional resources, increasing membership and representing the organisation at the strategic level. I've also been able to deliver a cycling development project, Belles on Bikes, which is supporting women throughout Scotland to ride in friendly, inclusive and supportive groups. In addition, I co-founded the first UK Women's Cycle Forum this year and am working with Sally Hinchcliffe to ensure that women are active participants in the cycling landscape across Scotland. I work closely alongside the CTC Scotland committee, who have a wealth of knowledge and experience, to promote membership and encourage members to actively support CTC's campaigns and cycling development activity. Since I wrote my first blog about them last year I'm delighted to say they have recruited three women to the committee!
You can find out more about all the projects by following the links or emailing us directly using the details below, but you can meet all the team, plus CTC Scotland at the CTC Scotland AGM and Gathering on 22 November in Edinburgh. Book your place today!
polly.jarman@ctc.org.uk
carrie.blair@ctc.org.uk
bryan.jardine@ctc.org.uk
suzanne.forup@ctc.org.uk
