I have a bike and want to help. What can I do?

 

As the pandemic’s effects are felt, Camcycle is urging its community to continue to come together for the benefit of others. If you have a bike and are able to help, here are some things you can do:

  • Many people are using their bikes to deliver supplies to vulnerable people and check in with elderly or isolated neighbours (while practising physical distancing). Just a wave through a window can help people feel connected. 
  • Keeping the wider cycling community going is important at this difficult time. You can have your bike serviced or purchase a gift voucher now for later use to help support local bike shops
  • With access to a mode of transport they may need, you can also find a local community action group. Read on to find out more about examples calling for cyclists.  We’ll do our best to update this list but please let us know of any additions using contact@camcycle.org.uk

 

Local community action groups looking for cyclist volunteers:

Abbey People are currently recruiting for volunteers to help deliver food to some of the most vulnerable people in the city, and to help reduce food waste by collecting food from supermarkets and delivering this to the Abbey Food Hub.

Abbey People aims to develop community cohesion, make Abbey a better place to live, and support the most at-risk in this deprived area through targeted community projects, provision of general support such as a community fridge, supporting access to education and employment and developing a culture of volunteering in the community

Volunteers are needed on Wed & Fridays from 9am-11am to collect from the Waitrose store on Fitzroy Street & deliver to the Abbey Food Hub at Barnwell Baptist Church.

Volunteers are also needed throughout the week to deliver emergency food parcels to residents. Times and dates can be arranged around availability.

Email info@abbeypeople.org.uk to find out more and to volunteer.

 

Working as part of Cambridgeshire Digital Partnership, Cambridge Online is looking for volunteers to help deliver computer tablets to digitally excluded people in the city, and also to collect donated internet equipment ready for refurbishment and redistribution to people and organisations in need.  The base for collection/delivery is our main learning centre in Hawthorn Way, CB4 1AX.

Cambridge Online is an educational charity taking on the challenge of digital inclusion for all.  During the pandemic, our focus has been on getting digitally excluded peop le connected to the internet by providing computer tablets and 4G connectivity and providing a phone helpline and online courses for people receiving the tablets.

Volunteers are currently needed on Wednesdays, on a flexible basis as and when we have equipment to deliver or collect.

Email Andrew Entecott andrew@cambridgeonline.org.uk or call 01223 300407 to find out more and to volunteer

 

Bury St Edmunds Rickshaw uses volunteer riders to transport goods for self-isolators – shopping, medication and other essential supplies – using their trishaw to carry bulky shopping, and volunteers’ own bicycles for smaller items, whilst maintaining strict safety protocols and physical distancing at all times. Volunteers collect and deliver prescriptions from all of Bury’s pharmacies, shopping that has been ordered by phone or online from any shop in town, and foodbank donations and parcels. They’ve done around 500 deliveries since lockdown started.  Some riders have trailers or cargo bikes of their own, and these have been useful too. 

If you would like to help, email Libby Ranzetta/Sam Reid on admin@bserickshaw.org.uk or telephone 01284339449

 

Cycle couriers needed The Scrub Hub is a network of voluntary community groups who love to sew and are now making scrubs to order for NHS staff who are struggling to get them during this crisis. This is a grassroots initiative and operates as a network of volunteers in regional hubs. Cambridgeshire Scrub Hub is working with the local sewing community to make the desperately needed scrubs, hats and scrub bags for local hospitals and care homes. They are looking for volunteer cycle couriers to transport fabric to sewers and finished scrubs to hospitals and other distribution points while practising strict physical distancing protocol.

If you would like to be involved, you can join the local Scrub Hub Facebook group and/or email Tricia on patricia_sutton0206@yahoo.co.uk

  

Cycling in green spacesCambridge’s roads are seeing a lot less motor traffic and Camcycle is investigating areas where road space could be temporarily reallocated to allow proper physical distancing between cyclists and pedestrians. There are also popular off-road routes around the city which are too narrow for people to pass one another safely. We are gathering evidence of places where changes could make travel safer at the moment and are looking for cyclists to contact us with their examples of pavements, cycleways, space for queuing, bridges and roads which don’t feel safe right now. 

If you would like to help, email contact@camcycle.org.uk with your suggestions or photograph hot-spots and use the tag #SpacesToBreathe on social media.