A previously derelict piece of land is now home to a cycle park promoting sustainable travel and recreation for everyone.
Located on the south bank of the River Clyde in Cambuslang, the Clyde Cycle Park (CCP) includes a 250m cycle circuit, an area for bike storage and sports a range of cycle programmes including ‘On Yer Bike’ (OYB) coaching sessions, Rock up and Ride which offers children from deprived areas free bikes after completing sessions and autism cycle days
CCP was granted £2500 from the Climate Emergency and Resilience Fund in 2024 which was issued by South Lanarkshire Council, utilising UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund monies.
The funds are being used to set up an OYB Bike Repair and Reuse programme to tackle barriers to cycling, supporting local people by helping them bring their bikes back into reuse and ensure they can deal with minor repairs themselves to help them remain active.
John Bachtler, the chair of Clyde Cycle Park and Cambuslang Community Council, said: “The community has quite a lot of areas where particularly young people wouldn’t get an opportunity to cycle.
“But it’s not just young people. We’re providing cycle coaching for all age groups. We work with disability groups and we’ve got adaptive bikes. We do Scottish bike trials coaching, so it’s across the spectrum.
For Billy McDermott, getting back in the saddle after 55 years was a breath of fresh air.
Billy, who rediscovered cycling at the age of 72, now attends a cycling class at the Clyde Cycle Park every week with the local charity group, LEAP.
And Billy said he couldn’t believe he was given a bike for free. And from that moment, he was hooked, saying: “I would say it’s given me an extra bit of health. It’s also good for the mind, speaking to more people in the group is definitely a benefit.”
CCP also promotes reducing carbon emissions, encouraging locals to move away from cars as much as possible by commuting along the national cycle route along the River Clyde.
The success and inclusivity of the courses led to CCP being awarded the 202 Recreational Cycling Award by Scottish Cycling.
The CCP has representatives from the Cambuslang Community Council, three local cycle clubs, CamGlen Biketown, South Lanarkshire Leisure & Culture and South Lanarkshire Council.
Councillor Norman Rae, the chair of the council’s Climate and Sustainability Committee, said: “The Clyde Cycle Park programme really is contributing to the council’s Sustainable Development and Climate Change Strategy.
“This community-led project not only promotes community, competition and commuter cycling, it seeks to encourage local changes in attitude and behaviour towards cycling in the community, by developing skills, building confidence, improving health and promoting physical activity.”
Groups can share their stories on social media using the hashtag #ScotClimateWeek – more information is also available on the Stories for Change page.
And as part of Climate Week 2024 you can watch a third film about the work of Biggar Food Growing Group on our YouTube channel https://youtu.be/pisHKMOHP60
If you want to help combat climate change please go to the council’s website for more information about what you can do to help the environment and the council’s sustainable development and climate change strategy for 2022 to 2027.
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