Winslow cycle club set up between lockdowns wins Proud of Bucks Award

The Winslow Wheelers Cycle Club have won a Proud of Bucks Award. The awards celebrate community members and groups that have demonstrated care, creativity and commitment towards their local areas, and applaud he outstanding contribution carried out by local volunteers. The Winslow Wheelers were commended for making a clear and positive impact on the community during 2022.

The club was set up in between lockdowns by local volunteers when they could safely take groups out cycling together, and has grown significantly ever since. It now boasts nearly 90 members of all abilities and all ages from 18 to mid-70s.

The inspiration behind setting it up was to ride bicycles in safety and to improve health. The impact of exercise and mental wellbeing had a massive impact on a lot of people during lockdown and has continued ever since. The club encourages road safety and all are welcome.

Every week, members set off from Winslow in different groups depending on ability and speed. Everyone is catered for and no-one is left behind. Each ride has a coffee stop midway.

The club has also been involved in many local charitable events, raising money for the Winslow Food Bank at Christmas, and supporting the Lions Club of Winslow in setting up the first North Bucks Charity Bike Ride in 2022, raising thousands of pounds for Mind and other local charities.

It was a great success, with many hundreds of cyclists converging on Winslow for the event, including family cyclists, leisure riders and many experienced cyclists on the more challenging routes of up to 100 miles round the beautiful Bucks countryside. The event was so successful that plans are already in place for a repeat event on July 16 2023.

In summing up when receiving their award, the club was described in three words as ‘welcoming, fun and enthusiastic’.

Club chairman Stewart Batchelor, and events and social organiser Katie Robson were presented with their Proud of Bucks 2022 trophy at an award ceremony in Winslow.

Chairman Stewart said: “The club feel extremely proud and overwhelmed by this acknowledgement and would like to thank everyone for their kind support.”