An inclusive cycling group is facing a 12-month closure which could \u201cshatter the community\u201d because of plans for council regeneration of Wythenshawe Park \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Simply Cycling is an all-abilities cycling group \u201cembedded\u201d in the Wythenshawe community which \u201cfosters a welcoming environment and supports people to ride who otherwise wouldn\u2019t be able to”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At a planning meeting last month, a plan was approved for \u2018enhanced sports and community facilities, including the reconfiguration of the existing playing field\u2019, which would leave Simply Cycling facing a 12-month closure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
James Gell, who has worked at Simply Cycling for 10 years, recognised that the proposal sounds like a \u201cmuch needed investment\u201d and highlighted \u201cthe benefits it could have long-term”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The cycling group has been running for 23 years at Wythenshawe athletics track with many riders being \u201clong-term users\u201d attending multiple times a week, to ride on the section of \u201cpurpose-built bikes\u201d the group has.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Being at the track you can see how deeply rooted in the community this group is, with hundreds of bikes built to cater a range of disabilities, most of them coming from donations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One Simply Cycling volunteer said: \u201cI\u2019ve been coming here for fouer years and you can really see how important it is. We have school groups and groups with learning difficulties who have their weekly sessions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
James stressed \u201cthat their service isn\u2019t stopped\u201d yet. The track and the cycling group was built with the intention to \u2018provide accessible cycling for everyone.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The group currently provides users with a safe space, and closure would mean they \u201close access to their weekly exercise\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
James said users who would be negatively affected by the closure: \u201cA regular visitor to our track, in his late 60s, has lived with Parkinson\u2019s disease for over 20 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHis doctors have noticed improvements in his health and asked what changed?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHis answer was Simply Cycling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He added: \u201cTwelve months without physical exercise is going to have a serious impact.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere’s talk to help increase our service in our other location in Boggart Hole Clough (North Manchester).\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said that although support was very welcome, the question still remained as to \u201cwhat do local people around Wythenshawe do for their cycling provision\u201d. He said that closing of the site would bring financial and social loss to the charity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe very reason we\u2019re here is because it is the most suitable location for miles,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the group’s main aim to provide \u2018accessible cycling\u2019, Simply Cycling is asking for support during the build.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
James emphasises the social aspect the group has for the community: \u201cBeing able to come here to see familiar faces and to be with people you enjoy riding with, is something that has been built up over 23 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cClosing for that time could shatter this community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Simply Cycling hopes to be supported through the build when the refurbishments take place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Manchester City Council and Manchester Active were contacted for a comment. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
An inclusive cycling group is facing a 12-month closure which could \u201cshatter the community\u201d because of plans for council regeneration of Wythenshawe Park \u00a0 Simply…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1974,"featured_media":23396,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4972],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23395","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n