"One day in every village, town and city."

A bespoke Trishaw is at the heart of what CWAS does: enriching and enhancing lives. And in only seven years, c.100,000 people have benefited. What started as a tiny charity in Falkirk is now active in almost every part of Scotland.

In 2012 Denmark’s Cycling Without Age developed a pedalled, power-assisted eBike trishaw with an integral passenger compartment so that older people with limited mobility could enjoy precious social interaction while enjoying rides in the fresh air. Then Project Officer for the community group Communities Along The Carron Association, I immediately recognised this as the perfect way to capitalise on CATCA’s work, as people with limited mobility would be able to access the beautifully renovated river paths, just like everyone else. CATCA brought two Trishaws into Scotland, rigorously trialled them and, in March 2017, the first CWAS branch (“Chapter”) was launched in Falkirk. 

The Scottish Government immediately realised the significant social value that a nationwide version of this project would deliver: benefits to health and wellbeing, promoting community cohesiveness, improving accessibility, stimulating volunteering opportunities and promoting and enabling physical activity. So the Government engaged me to develop a national model, properly regulated but maintaining the ethos of a grassroots community-led organisation.

My proposal was warmly received and in 2018 the registered charity CWAS launched. The Government tasked us to deliver a rigorously assured project, aiming at providing our unique activity in all local authorities, ensuring that our activity everywhere is carried out at the highest possible safety standards by thoroughly trained, PVG cleared Pilots and that our governance is first class. The Government supported us financially through Active Scotland and Transport Scotland to do this; it continues to do so and we are very grateful. We’ve done all we were asked; actually we feel we’re delivering above and beyond.

CWAS started with 5 Trishaws in 2018. We now operate 150 through more than 90 Chapters countrywide. A new Chapter opens every couple of months and new Pilots join almost daily: all managed by a CWAS HQ team of seven, only two of whom are full-time. CWAS delivers c.32,000 rides annually, enriching the lives of at least 45,000 passengers each year and of c.1,200 volunteers who are enjoying high level fulfilment in a unique way. Most CWAS Pilots are in their 50s/60s, many in their 70s and some in their 80s. More than 60% of CWAS’ Pilots are women, many of whom have not participated in physical activity for a long time.

CWAS remains part of the 39-country organisation, Cycling Without Age, and the Scotland operation is considered around the world to be the role model for effectiveness, efficiency, impact and, above all, sustainability. We are the only “Country Chapter” which manages every Trishaw in its country. That way we can ensure countrywide continuation, reallocating Trishaw/s should enthusiasm wane in any Chapter or the Chapter fail, avoiding any of these valuable assets being abandoned, unused.

We’re now active in 28 of 32 local authorities. But, whilst that Government-set task seems nearly complete, in every authority there are many communities wanting to develop into Chapters; CWAS supports them fully at every stage. This is a genuinely countrywide initiative, for the people, being delivered by the people and supported by the Scottish Government. Going forward, we will continue to enable any community anywhere which wants to enrich and enhance the lives of its members through the unique service that CWAS provides to do so: “One day in every village, town and city.”.

The Government’s foresightedness has been fundamental to our success and we sincerely hope that this partnership will continue for many years ahead.

This article is sponsored by Cycling Without Age Scotland.

www.cwas.org