Riding Beyond Limits Project Wins Forth Valley Disability Sport Award

Main image: Drew Taylor (FEL Scotland), Carly Lauder (Clackmannanshire Council) and Donald Balsillie (Provost of Clackmannanshire Council) 

We’re so excited to announce that our Senior Active Travel Project Officer, Drew, was at Forth Valley Disability Sport awards on the 22nd March and won the Clackmannanshire Inspire Award for his work on Riding Beyond Limits! 

Riding Beyond Limits is our adaptive cycling programme which has helped school students across the Forth Valley with additional support needs try out cycling on adaptive bikes. For some of these students, the project has been the first time they’ve been able to try cycling. The project leaders have witnessed immense changes in the pupils over the course of the work, with some non-verbal children speaking for the first time, and children with limited mobility able to move and cycle on their own. The project has created lasting memories for students, as well as their carers, parents and teachers. 

Drew Taylor (FEL Scotland) pictured with a student from Alloa Academy ASN 

Riding Beyond Limits wouldn’t be possible for us to manage without help from a wide range of people, most notably Carly Lauder, Inclusion Officer at Clackmannanshire Council. Drew and Carly both had a significant role in the Riding Beyond Limits sessions and shared their knowledge, skills and enthusiasm with the students. 

We’re also thankful to George Gilvear from Active Clacks, and to all the organisations and individuals who have been part of this work and helped us make sure active travel across the Forth Valley is accessible for all. More specifically, thank you to Tomcat Cycles, Fast Aid Medical and Mobility and VanRaam, who are all involved in creating the adaptive bikes that we use in this work! 

An Alloa Academy ASN pupil riding an adaptive bike

Additional thanks to the Scottish Government for making this possible, as our Bike Library is funded through a People and Place grant and administrated and supported by SEStran and Tactran. 

We’re really proud of this aspect of our work and thankful for the recognition from Forth Valley Disability Sport. It means a lot to see this project growing in the Forth Valley! 

If you’d like, you can read more about this project on STV News and The Scotsman. We’re looking forward to continuing this work and seeing where it goes next. 

Forth Valley Disability Sport Award for Drew Taylor