Cork Bike Week Report 2015

Transcription

1 Report Compiled by: Maurice O Sullivan, Cork Sports Partnership, James Kirby, Cork Sports Partnership Anita Lenihan, Cork City Council & Sarah Danaher, Cork City Council Date: 04/08/15

2 Table of Contents: 1. Cork Bike Week 2015 Summary 2. Introduction 3. Cork Event List Participation Total Participation 4.2 Primary Schools Participation 4.3 Club Participation 4.4 Groups & Organisations Participation 4.5 Geographical spread of Cork events Cork City and Cork County Cork City & Suburb Events 5. Individual Cork Event Details and Reports 6. Marketing 6.1 Website 6.2 Social Media Facebook Twitter 6.3 Cork Bike Week E-zine 6.4 Operation Transportation Blog 6.5 Partner Promotion Cork Bike Week Steering Committee Cork Clubs, Groups, Organisations and School 6.6 Flyer Production 7. Feedback 7.1 Schools 7.2 Clubs and Organisations 7.3 Public 8. Impacts and Legacy of the Cork Bike Week 2015

3 1. Cork Bike Week 2015 Summary This report was compiled to provide feedback on the coordination and delivery of the Cork Bike Week 2015 in Cork City and County. The report includes a detailed overview and account of all events that took place during Cork Bike Week 2015 including the coordination and marketing of the cycling celebration. Over 3,625 participants of all ages and abilities took part in 46 coordinated Cork events during National Bike Week Events ranged from Family Fun Cycles, School events, training days and many other club and community cycling events. 2,663 primary school children took part in 29 school specific events organised through a range of different providers and schools respectively. In addition, 5 Cork Cycling Clubs got involved in Cork Bike Week organising a range of different cycling activities for 350 people in their communities. These ranged from Leisure Cycles to family fun cycles and ensured all abilities were catered for. The community and group aspect of Bike Week 2015 also increased, with over 612 people taking part in 12 organised events. National Bike Week has helped facilitate and develop further links with other physical activity and transportation programmes coordinated in Cork annually including Cork Safer Cycling Programme, Active Schools, Smarter Travel, Green Schools and Cork Transport and Mobility Forum. This coupled with the increased awareness and use of local amenities and facilities has helped create a long lasting and positive legacy from National Bike Week in the Cork area. The National Bike Week initiative continues to be supported by an increasing number of cycling stakeholders and agencies at local level in Cork. There is a marked increase in the variety and selection of cycling initiatives being developed for National Bike Week by these stakeholders each year which has added to the overall cycling experience for everyone involved in the week long celebration. 2. Introduction: Cork Bike Week 2015 was coordinated by Cork City Council, Cork County Council, Cork Sports Partnership, Cork Environmental Forum, An Taisce Green Schools, HSE South - Health Promotion Department, University College Cork, Cork Cycling Campaign and supported by many local clubs, groups, schools, businesses and cycling stakeholders throughout Cork. This steering group linked in with a number of different clubs, groups, organisations and schools throughout Cork City and County to provide a comprehensive calendar of cycling events for the people of Cork during National Bike Week. The focus of Cork Bike Week was to provide people of all ages and abilities with a variety of cycling events and to create awareness of cycling as form of transport and physical activity. Clubs, community groups, schools and local organisations were all targeted to ensure a far reaching Cork Bike Week 2015.

4 3. Cork Events List 2015 Cork Bike Week 2015 Events List All Week Events : (13th 21st June) No of Participants Operation Transportation Bike N' Beara Cycling Promotion Days X 3 School Events 400 Scoil Bernadette, Montennotte, Cork City 20 Midleton Educate Together NS 60 Scoil Mhuire Fatima Cycle to Fitzgerald s Park, Bling my bike, COW 164 Bere Islands Projects Group 40 Saturday 13th June Cork City - Cycle Safety Training 4 Cork County Cycling Club 40 Sunday 14th June West Cork Cycling Crew 50km coastal ride around Skibbereen 100 Skibb/Ballydehob CC Tragumna Coastal Fun Cycle 40 Passage West to Blackrock Castle Family Fun Cycle 120 Monday 15th June Leap NS Cycle Safety 20 Cycle Sense Games & family 10km cycle Ballydehob 35 Holy Family School, Charleville Participation & safe Cycling 10 Glasheen NS Safe Cycling Poster 125 Clondrohid NS Nature Cycle 26 Scoil Padre Pio Road Safety Presentation by RSA & Arts and Crafts Day 150 Mystery History Tour 35 Lisheen NS Cycle skills & Bling your Bike 31 Tuesday 16th June Coachford NS Bike Bonanza 87 St Marys Primary School, Rosscarbery Cycling promotion 110 Cycle Sense Skibb fun cycling games & town cycle 50 Rylane NS Lunch Cycle to Rylane Cross 30 Scoil Padre Pio Arts & Crafts, RSA presentation 150 Wednesday 17th June Scoil Barra Naofa, Monkstown Bike Art and Craft 27 St Patricks BNS O Donovan Rossa Cycle 50 Scoil Iosagain, Aghada COW day 100 Baltydaniel NS Bling your bike & Road safety talk 210 Timoleague NS School cycle from Timoleague to Courtmacsherry 68 Scoil Barra Naofa Cailini, Beaumont COW Day 263 Lunch by The Lee/Picnic in the Park 180 Thursday 18th June Kilcoe NS Bike Workshop with Cycle Sense 80 UCC to CIT s Secret Cycle Routes 21 Cope Foundation, Mallow Come and Try Session 30 Scoil Naomh Fionan Cycle to School 30 Union Hall NS School cycle & Bike Maintenance Workshop 60 An Óige Thursday night leisure cycles 52 Friday 19th June

5 Dromleigh NS Cycle Safety 60 Lisavaird NS Bike Workshops 80 St Joseph s NS, Bantry Cycle Skills 42 Valley Wheelers Family Fun Cycle 50 Gaelscoil Mhachan Bling your bike 180 Saturday 20th June St John s Central College - Revolution 30 Sunday 21st June Cycling Singles and Mingles Day 37 Bandon Cycling Club - Family Fun Cycle 120 Total Cork Bike Week Participation Participation 2015 In total, 46 official events were organised for Cork Bike Week ,625 people of all ages and abilities took part in the events from Saturday 13 th June until Sunday 21st June. The scale and scope of events for 2015 continued to grow and expand with a number of new and innovative events organised to highlight and promote cycling as an activity for everyone. Events including the Lunchtime Cycle to Fitzgerald s Park, Tour de Romance Afternoon and the increased number of Family Fun Events proved a particular highlight of an already exciting calendar of events. Each local event organised for Cork Bike Week was supported by a steering committee organisation member who ensured participation was the primary focus across all Cork events Support was provided in the form of funding, promotion, organisation and any additional support required by local event organisers. Linking with a number of local clubs, groups and organisations for Cork Bike Week has helped to increase awareness of National Bike Week and the different cycling opportunities available to people throughout Cork. A highly cooperative approach allowed for a number of different initiatives and organisations to combine to promote cycling as a form of Transport and Physical Activity. Existing links with cycling programmes or initiatives including Green Schools Flag, Active Schools Flag, Healthy Schools, all greatly enhanced the overall Bike Week experience.

6 4.1 Total Participation Total Cork Participation 2015: Total Number of Events: 46 Total Number of Participants: Primary Schools Participation: Primary School Bike Week events took centre stage again for Cork Bike Week with 2663 students from 29 different schools took part in cycling events to celebrate National Bike Week Events organised included Cycle to School Days, Bike Week Celebrations, Bling Your Bike Competitions, Fun Games, Nature Cycles and Safer Cycling Training. A number of schools availed of the opportunity to link in with the RSA Road Safety Promotion Officer for safety talks to enhance the educational aspect of their Bike Week experience. A number of these school events were supported by outside organisations including Bike N Beara organised 3 Cycling Promotion Days for schools on the Beara Peninsula. The activities included of safer cycling training, fun games and fun cycles. A number of Cork City schools linked up with the Lunchtime Cycle to Fitzgerald s Park on Weds 17 th. The majority of schools involved in Cork Bike Week 2015 actively promote cycling throughout the year by linking with a number of different cycling programmes and initiatives. See Section 5 for further details of all Primary School Events. Total Cork Schools Participation 2015: Total Number of Schools Events: 29 Total Number of Participants: 2633

7 4.3 Club Participation: The number of cycling club events also increased in 2015, with 5 clubs organising events locally. Improved relationships with a number of participation focused clubs through Cork Sports Partnership have led to an increase in support for National Bike Week by Cork Clubs. In 2015, 350 people took part in 5 events organised by the 5 clubs. The Clubs involved for 2015, included; Valley Wheelers Cycling Club, Cork County Cycling Club, Ballydehob & Skibbereen Cycling Club and Bandon Cycling Club and West Cork Cycling Club. This year, West Cork Cycling Crew joined the Cork Bike Week crew organising a cycle in Skibbereen which resulted in 15 riders expressing interest in joining their cycling club. Club Participation 2015: Cycling Club & Events 5 No of Participants: Organisation / Groups Participation: This category of events organised for Cork Bike 2015 includes events organised directly steering committee organisations, voluntary groups and organisations and all other categories not including, schools or clubs. A total 642 people took part in 12 events organised by a number of different organisations including Cork City Council, Cork County Council, Cork Cycling Campaign, Cycle Sense Skibbereen, An Oige and Cork Community Bikes. The range and scope of events organised included a Cycling Singles and Mingles night, Mystery History Cycle, Operation Transportation, Family Fun Cycles, Leisurely cycles, Fun Games, Cycling Picnics and Safer Cycling Training. Groups / Organisations Participation 2015: Events: 12 No of Participants: 612

8 4.5 Geographical spread of Cork Bike Week Events Event locations on map Groups/Organisations = Schools = Clubs = Cork City and Cork County Cork City & Suburb Events

9 5. Individual Cork Event Details and Reports All Week Events: (13th 21st June) Operation Transportation 2015 The mission of Operation Transportation was to get a group of people in Cork to use their bike every day during Cork Bike Week and get them to tell their trip/adventure/stories throughout the week. Eight participants took part in Operation Transportation, each with a varying degree of cycling experience. Each of 8 daily bloggers updated followers, friends and family with each day s activities via , blog, Facebook and Twitter. In total, 35 posts were uploaded with 525 views thus far. Posts varied from leisurely cycle trips, great viewpoints, to experiences with traffic and road conditions. Photos, related helpful links and videos were added to enhance each bloggers stories. Overall feedback from the participants was extremely positive. Operation Transportation Leader Aisling on a 55km round trip to Crosshaven Mum to be displays her Chocolate wares from her Shop-on-a-Bike The Operation Transportation challenge was taken up by eight people this year including one mother and son team. These Operation Transportation Challenge leaders all promised to: a. Cycle for at least ten minutes every day during Cork Bike Week and b. Share short tales of their cycling experiences online at : and Blog posts were also shared via twitter and google plus. In total, 36 posts were uploaded during Bike Week 2015 and these were collectively viewed 1,067 times between June 12 th and July 24th. Overall, since the blog was set-up in 2012, there have been 4,762 views with most of the readers being referred to the site via Facebook. Surprisingly the second most common referral site is the somewhat geeky specific topic web-chatroom: Social network avenues like this may warrant further investigation next year.

10 To increase the readership and improve online search rankings etc., the blog posts were all enhanced with editorial notes and links to more information about the blogger s chosen cycling destinations, en route activities or their cycling pet-hates and loves. These notes covered topics as diverse as: Prenatal cycling tips Places to camp and festivals to attend in West Cork How to fix a puncture The history of Cork s own Shakey Daly s bridge The railway line to Monkstown The Operation Transportation leaders gave us: Short stories about bikes loved and lost, Reports on the pros and cons of Coke Zero Bikes Insights into how they integrate cycling into their working lives Tales of their leisure time cycling trips and Reviews of two Cork Bike Week Events The Operation Transportation Leaders varied widely in their levels of cycling skills, frequency of cycling and in the types of blogs they composed. However a common theme explored by the bloggers this year was the meditative bliss that can be experienced whilst cycling. Some of the blogger feedback included: I do yoga every day, I practice meditation, I have gone on more retreats than I can count on one hand, but the place where my mind is most quiet is on my bike. I am not thinking of anything or trying hard not to think, I am just trying to keep pedalling so I don't fall off. Cycling has become, not just a way to go to work, but also a way to download my energy: doing exercise in the open air and having time just for myself. Everyone should do it, even if just to be alone with yourself. It will leave your own mind feeling much lighter afterwards. This morning I got on my bike at 6.30am, no-one on the street, no cars or van passed me. All the street and silence were just for me. For us, Operation Transportation was a tremendous success. Chris has gained a ton of confidence in road cycling. For me, it was truly an Operation Transformation. It got me back on the bike, forced me to take time out for myself and in doing so, gifted me confidence in much more than just cycling. Roll on next year!"

11 Saturday 13th June Cycle Safety Training Cycle Trainers and Trainees Gathering at the UCC Gates Testing Tyre pressure and hub lubrication Four people (2 male, 2 female) attended a Cycle Safety Training Course from 10 am until lunchtime on Saturday June 13 th. The course was provided by two fully qualified Bikeability Cycling Instructors ( from Cork Community Bikes. However, for Bike Week, a taster course was specially developed. This course is aimed at people who can cycle but who want to learn more about the safest cycling techniques in traffic/urban scenarios. The course helps to correct bad habits and improve road assertiveness. People who have not cycled in years or who have little experience cycling in urban traffic seem to particularly benefit from the course as was the case for most of this year s participants. The course started inside the gates of U.C.C. by teaching everyone some basic cycle health-checks to ensure that the bikes were all in good working order. This was followed by some exercises in the absence of traffic, at Gilabbey Rock: a quiet space nearby. These exercises included: practising emergency breaking, Looking behind while keeping a straight line, Riding with one hand off the handlebars, etc. The remainder of the course took place on some relatively quiet roads with some traffic, and covered topics like: where to position yourself on the road, where and when to look around,

12 How and when to signal when making manoeuvres like overtaking, turning off main roads and turning onto main roads. It was basically a shortened version of a course that normally takes 6 hours and is given over 3 sessions of 2 hours, so cycling in heavy traffic through Round-abouts etc. was excluded. Participant feedback received from the course included: A thoroughly enjoyable session and a very gentle confidence builder Both instructors were excellent. It s amazing how, when the basics are explained and demonstrated, it makes you feel more confident. Bike N' Beara Cycling, 3 Promotion Days Bike N Beara organised a fun day of cycling in 3 local schools in the Beara Peninsula: Monday 15 th Scoil an Chroí Ró Naofa in Castletownbere, Wednesday 17 th St. Michael's N.S. in Bere Island and Friday 19 th Scoil Chaitigeirn in Eyeries. Each day began with a safety talk; a basic lesson on maintenance, followed by obstacle courses in the school playground. This allowed each child to practise safe cycling skills. The second part of each cycling promotion day included a looped cycle in the area of approximately 5km. On return to the school, the days cycling activities finished up with some fun games, spot prizes and refreshments. Over 400 pupils were present and with the help of the local community Garda and local volunteer cyclists all was managed well. Pupils were encouraged to enjoy cycling while being confident in their own knowledge and skills on the road, this was all achieved.

13 Scoil Mhuire Fatima Cycle Week Scoil Mhuire Fatima organised a weeklong series of events to celebrate Cork Bike Week On Monday, the school hosted a bike workshop and a Bling your bike competition where prizes were given to the most attractive bicycle. On Wednesday, the school participated in the Lunch in the Park in Fitzgerald s park where the children cycled from the school yard into the park. Great work has been put into promoting cycling and healthy living. Over 164 pupils participated in the event which was enjoyed by all. Scoil Mhuire Fatima Midleton Educate Together NS Midleton Educate Together NS organised 3 events throughout the Bike Week 2015 calendar. On 15 th June, the school organised an art competition to design a poster and slogan to encourage children to cycle to school and to do so safely. As so many of the boys and girls are now cycling to school, this proved to be a big hit. On 16 th, the boys and girls in 5 th and 6 th class undertook a safety workshop where they learnt about how to look after their bicycle and how to cycle safely on the roads. Ryan O Reilly, a parent of children in our school, was a special guest to Midleton Educate Together NS on Wednesday the 17 th. He recently undertook a cycle from the top of Scotland to the southern tip of England. He spoke to the children in 4 th -6 th class about what is involved in preparing for his cycle and thanked the boys and girls for their recent fundraising efforts. With their Active Week and Bike Week activities now complete the school are looking forward to a fun and activity filled summer.

14 Lisheen NS Cycle skills & Bling your Bike To celebrate Cork Bike Week 2015, Lisheen NS organised three bike events on the 16, 17, 19th June. A Bling your Bike competition and bicycle maintenance workshop were hosted on the 16th. There was a great array of bike designs and very imaginative additions were added to each bicycle. On the 17th the pupils participated in a slow bike race and completed various obstacle courses. The 19th of June had Katie Mann from Cycle Sense come to the school and she taught the children in 4th, 5th and 6th classes cycle skills and control. Katie also spoke to the pupils from juniors to 3rd class on staying safe on the roads. Bere Island Projects Group Cycle Week Bere island projects group organised 3 events during Cork Bike Week. On the 17 th June Bike N Beara visited St Michaels NS on Bere Island. The day started with a bike check followed by a cycling lesson and obstacle course. The children then cycled to the local café for healthy snacks & drinks. On 18 th June, Paul O Brien gave a talk in the Bere Island Community Centre on Beara Cycling Club and on the training for the Beara charity cycle. He also spoke about training plan, nutrition and cycling gear. An evening cycle was hosted on the 19 th June. This consisted of a 5km loop in Rerrin Village followed by healthy snacks and drinks in the local café. The event was a great way to get people to start cycling or to get back into cycling. It was an all-inclusive social event for the community. The organisers of the Beara charity cycle were also in attendance and they advised people on what they need to do to prepare for a long distance event, they also had training plans available and were given to those who attended. Dromleigh National School Cycle Safety Dromleigh N.S. were again proud to take part in the annual Bike Week programme. The main aim last year was to promote cycling as an attractive exercise and transport option through our successful 'Bling a Bike' competition. This year they had two main objectives in participating in the scheme: - For all 60 of our pupils to demonstrate the ability to identify cycle safety knowledge and skills to prevent unintentional injury. - To continue to promote cycling as a fun and healthy mode of travel.

15 Actions: Junior classes: Senior pupils devised a PowerPoint presentation for younger pupils in the area of bike safety and the importance of wearing a helmet correctly. This acted as a springboard to stimulate class discussion with their teacher around safer cycling. The children then completed a quiz at the end of the presentation. Those that demonstrated a good understanding of bike safety received a personalised 'cycle licence' from community Garda Orla Doyle, who also promoted cycle safety Middle classes: The class teacher again reviewed cycle safety issues. These students were asked to design their own cycling helmet as an art project to promote the enjoyable aspects of biking. All efforts were displayed during Bike Week on our central Health Promotion Board. Senior classes: Older students were guided writing a safety slogan, with keywords. All efforts were again valued and displayed centrally. The children were also encouraged to bike to school daily as two senior students visited each class to ask children to cycle at home and school when possible. Safety posters were created for each classroom, reflective armbands and cycle safety booklets were sourced from the RSA for all students to take home and discuss with their parents. Eleven helmets were also given as prizes to pupils who engaged with the scheme throughout the week. Sunday 14th June Passage West to Blackrock Castle Family Fun Cycle The Passage West to Blackrock Castle Family Fun Cycle along the old railway line has become a much loved annual event. It is a very scenic cycle as the route runs along the water s edge and is off road for almost the entire length. This year again we had approximately 120 participants of all ages, who received their free Bike Week T shirts, bells, bag tags, lights and sunscreen before heading off in the sunshine to Blackrock Castle. Portable bike parking was again indispensable at Blackrock Castle Observatory. Cyclists had refreshments and face painting in the beautiful sunshine and this year a new addition was the musical bike where you had to pedal to play the tunes! Cycling along the Passage to Blackrock Greenway

16 West Cork Cycling Crew Coastal Cycle West Cork Cycling Crew, a new addition this year organised a 50km cycle starting and finishing in Skibbereen town on Sunday 14 th June. The route was mostly coastal and relatively flat, with a number of gentle inclines and descents which were almost unavoidable due to the rolling nature of the local area. The main aim was to encourage previous riders who participated to extend their distances. A short safety briefing was given at the start of the cycle while refreshments were given out on completion. Approximately 100 new riders participated while 15 have expressed an interest in joining the West Cork Cycling Club and may therefore become regular club cyclists shortly. In this regard, WCCC deemed the event a huge success. Skibbereen and Ballydehob CC - Tragumna Coastal fun cycle Skibbereen and Ballydehob CC organised a leisurely cycle on Sunday 14 th June with a choice of 2 beautiful coastal routes. Route 1 consisted of an 8km cycle to Tragumna beach through Liss Ard estate, while route 2 involved a 24km cycle to Tragumna beach via Castletownshend. Both routes left at the same time and both met at Tragumna Beach for fun and refreshments. Everyone enjoyed the beautiful West Cork scenery and coastal roads. Help was received from SB Cycling Club, Cycle Sense, Volunteer marshals, Abbeystrewry NS and Roycroft Cycles for bike mechanics support. Monday 15th June Clondrohid NS Nature Cycle With the aim of increasing bike awareness and nature appreciation, Clondrohid NS organised an event to highlight both of these. At 10am on a Monday morning the pupils headed off on their nature cycle to the Curragh. A total distance of 4km was completed off road on a nature track. The children put into their bike skills while taking in the beautiful surroundings.

17 Holy Family School, Charleville Safe cycling On Monday the 15 th June Holy Family school organised a day of diverse cycling activities to promote enjoyment, exercise and the awareness of cycling. A revision of how to cycle safely on public roads was given before the children began their cycle on the railway road from the school yard. To add to the excitement of the day a Garda escort was present on the return journey back to the school. On arrival the pupils were also given the opportunity to try adult tricycles in a relay fashion. Leap NS Cycle Safety day Leap National School hosted a cycle safety day on Monday 15 th June. Pupils learned about safe cycling, road safety as a cyclist, maintenance of your bike and the importance of wearing a helmet. The day achieved promoting good cycling habits, the benefits of regular physical activity and also enhanced the schools endeavour to become an Active School Glasheen NS - Safe Cycling Poster To celebrate Cork Bike Week and to make their pupils aware of the dangers of the road for cyclists, Glasheen NS held a Safe Cycling Poster competition with prizes for best design. Along with this the children were encouraged to cycle to school, to look after their bikes while highlighting the importance of always wearing a helmet. Cycle Sense Games & family 10km cycle Ballydehob Cycle Sense organised cycling games and a family 10km guided cycle around the beautiful countryside of Ballydehob on Monday 15 th. Obstacle courses and a slow race were just some of the highlights. A bike doctor was also present and gave people tips and checks for their bicycles. Refreshments and prizes were given throughout the evening. Some of those who attended had taken out their forgotten bikes, fixed them up and took part in the family cycle. Participants met new friends and everyone had great fun. Mystery History Cycle Each year the Mystery History Cycle takes a different route around Cork City s historic centre and sometimes a little beyond. There was a group of about 35 who assembled early at Bishop Lucey Park on the Grand Parade, so the tour started promptly. First off was South Main St, Elizabeth Fort, St. Finnbarrs Cathedral, the Middle Parish and on to North Gate Bridge, as leader Darren Mc Adam O Connell conjured up visions of long-ago Cork. There was a long stop at Shandon and the Butter Exchange (known locally as the Buttera) with a good discussion and questions. The group then pedalled back to North Main Street, Skiddies Castle and Paradise Place before returning to the Grand Parade. This year several cyclists availed of the Coke Zero Bikes to take part in the History Cycle and were mostly able to use the docking stations close to the cycle route taken.

18 Tuesday 16th June Skibbereen - Games Bike Doctor and Family Town Cycle with Cycle Sense On Tuesday 16 th June, Cycle Sense organised two obstacle courses, one for under 7 s and one for children over 7. People met up in Fairfield car park. Along with these a slow race was held with prizes given to the winners. A bike doctor was set up with tools and fixed several bikes. At 7.15pm the under 7 s went on a very small cycle out around the car park and back in. After which the larger group gathered and cycled the town with several marshals blocking the roundabouts and guided the group through. It was a rainy evening but that did not stop 55 participants joining in and having fun. The bike doctor was kept very busy as usual. The highlight of the event was meeting families and children who look forward to joining in this event annually. The under 7 s enjoyed their cycle out which was new. Several people expressed what fun it was cycling as group around the town being looked after by marshals which was lovely to hear. Coachford NS Bike Bonanza To build awareness of Bike Road Safety Coachford NS organised a Bike Bonanza event on the 16 th June. Children participated in a cycle safety workshop, using hand signals and took part in bike control drills. 87 pupils were also shown how to check your bicycle and how to maintain it.

19 Desertserges NS Bicycle Maintenance and Road Safety As part of Cork Bike Week, Desertserges NS organised visits from the Community Garda Officer and a member from Bandon Cycling Club to talk Caring for your bicycle This involved the pupils learning about maintenance, tyres, brakes, lights and how to fix a flat tyre. Along with this the children learned about road safety and how to apply these rules to country roads. Rylane NS Lunchtime Cycle to Rylane Cross Rylane NS organised a lunchtime cycle to Rylane Cross from their schools premises each day of Cork Bike Week. Thirty pupils donned their helmets and hi-visibility jackets and took to the road on a daily basis from pm. Together with parents and teachers, the children were made more aware of the health benefits of cycling. St Mary s PS, Rosscarbery Cycling promotion By analysing numerous surveys carried out by the school, results have found that none of the pupils cycle to school despite many stating that they own a bike and would like to cycle to school. The school knew that safety was a major factor so decided to promote safe cycling as part of Bike Week. Various competitions were also run and prizes were given. Scoil Padre Pio Arts & Crafts day, RSA Presentation First to sixth class pupils of Scoil Padre Pio participated in an Arts & Crafts day on 16 th June as part of Cork Bike Week Also on the day a road safety presentation was given by the RSA and information resources were handed out to all the children. Wednesday 17th June Scoil Iosagain, Aghada COW Day, Cycle on Wednesday On Wednesday 17th June, Scoil Iosagain in Aghada organised a COW day. Parents, children and teachers all cycled to Scoil Iosagain from the meeting point in Whitegate. On arrival, children participated in games and cycling related prizes were given. There were representatives of Midleton Cycling Club also present on the day. The event created the awareness of healthy lifestyles and encouraged the pupils to cycle to school regularly.

20 Baltydaniel NS Bling your Bike & Road safety talk On 17th June, Baltydaniel NS hosted a Bling your Bike day to celebrate Cork Bike Week All 200 children were invited to bring their bicycle into school to Bling with the winner receiving a prize. Great designs and decorations were seen on ths day. Also on the day an organised visit from the Cork County Council was planned with a talk about road safety. The local liason Garda was also present and held cycling lessons in the school s yard. A nature cycle in Doneraile Park for senior pupils in the evening topped off what was to be a fantastic day for Baltydaniel NS Scoil Barra Naofa, Monkstown Bike Art & Craft Scoil Barra Naofa, Monkstown organised a Bike Art and Crafts day on the 17th June. Pupils were asked to design a bike with waste materials with prizes given to the best creations. The full 5th class (27) participated in this event. Timoleague NS School cycle On the 17th June, Timoleague NS organised a school cycle from Timoleague to Courtmacsherry for pupils from 3 rd to 6 th class. There was great work put into the Lusitania Commemorations and the children got to see the replicas that were built on the cycle trip. This school cycle was very beneficial as the pupils put their road safety lessons into practice all while appreciating the beautiful location. St Patricks BNS O Donovan Rossa Cycle St Patricks BNS in Skibbereen hosted the O Donovan Rossa cycle on Tuesday 17th June as part of Cork Bike Week This cycle was aimed to visit the sites historically linked to Skibbereen. Jeremiah O Donovan Rossa was a very historic figure and closely connected to Skibbereen town and local GAA club who died in The pupils learned all about the historic sites all while getting fit and enjoying the scenery and cycle. Fifty pupils participated along with families, who were assisted by the Garda Siochana and Civil Defence. Scoil Barra Naofa Cailini, Beaumont COW Day On 17 th June Scoil Barra Naofa Cailini organised a Cycle to School on Wednesday day combined with a healthy eating demonstration. All the children of the school learned about the importance of healthy living, eating and the importance of fruit in their snacks. The pupils were provided with bite sized fruit pieces and they constructed their own fruit kebabs using such fruits as mandarins, pineapple, grapes, berries and skewers.

21 Lunchtime Cycle to Fitzgerald s Park Wherever you are on Wednesday, take a leisurely cycle to Fitzgerald s Park and enjoy a lunchtime concert...and free lunchtime for the first 100 cyclists. This was the invitation issued for Wednesday 17 th June. And they certainly came. The Lunchtime Cycle is now in its third year and is going from strength to strength. Despite a black looking sky in the morning the sun came out to shine on the 180 cyclists who cycled to Fitzgerald s Park for the lunchtime concert and picnic. Music was provided by members of the Cork Academy of Music and lunch by the Good Food Bakery, sponsored by the City Council. People of all ages cycled to the park from all over the city including some four Green Schools currently earning their Green Flag for Travel. Cork City Council works closely with An Taisce in promoting sustainable travel, especially cycling. Chilling in Fitzgerald s Park City & County Council staff Green Schools Lunchtime Cycle to the Park St Catherines GNS, St Joseph s BNS, Sundays Well BNS, Scoil Mhuire Fatima BNS In conjunction with Cork City Council and Cork Sports Partnership, the Green Schools Travel Officers in the Cork City area organized a Lunchtime Cycle to Fitzgeralds Park for four National Schools as part of National Bike Week. The schools who took part in the cycle were; St Catherine s GNS St Joseph s BNS, Sundays Well BNS and Scoil Mhuire Fatima BNS. Each of these schools has been working towards achieving their fourth Green Flag for Travel. In preparation for the cycle, Travel Officers Caroline Murphy and Sandy McGroarty did a reconnaissance for each of the four routes that the children would be cycling to get to the park. The Travel Officers then went to each school and presented their findings; spoke to the children about bike and helmet safety, bike maintenance and the rule of the road when cycling. Once the pupils got to the park they each received a free lunch and an ice-cream courtesy of the city council.

22 They got to bling their bikes and listen to a concert preformed by the Cork Academy of Music. The day was a fantastic success and the children gained practical experience of cycling on the road.

23 Thursday 18th June Cope Foundation, Mallow Cope Foundation, Mallow organised a Come and Try Session for Thursday 18 th of June to celebrate Cork Bike Week Adults with an intellectual disability had the opportunity to cycle in a safe and controlled environment. 33 athletes from centres in Cork City and Mallow took part in the event. Athletes had the opportunity to try out tricycles, balance bikes and bicycles. For many of the athletes it was their first time on a bike since childhood and for 3 of our athletes it was a brand new experience to them. A great morning was had by all. Support was provided by volunteers from Blackwater Cycling Club and from staff in the physical activities + sports department in Cope Foundation. Cycling sessions have now been included in the Physical Activity and Sports Department timetable in Mallow, with cycling taking place every Thursday morning at 9:30am. Scoil Naomh Fionan Cycle to School Scoil Naomh Fionan organised a cycle to school morning on 18th of June. Fifth and sixth year pupils met in Nohoval village car park at 9.20am. They then started the cycle to school. This event has encouraged cycling as a means of transport while developing their cycling skills on the road, focusing on safety on country roads. On arrival the pupils were rewarded with healthy snacks, great fun was had on the day.

24 Union Hall NS School cycle and Bike Maintenance Workshop Union Hall NS organised a school cycle around the area of the school s premises completing approximately 10km in distance on the 18 th of June. Pupils, teachers and parents all set off at lunch to complete a local route with a few loops of the area south of the school. The route started on the schools premises heading to Raheen then on to The League, around the lake, past Myross, back to Cahergal before looping over the hill back to the school. A safety car was present at the front and back of the cycle group. All cyclists wore their helmets and hi-visibility vests. Local cyclists who raised money for new bicycle racks were also present on the day. Photos of the event were sent to the local press. A Road Safety, Bike Repair and maintenance workshop was also hosted for the children while the younger pupils participated in cycle activities in the school yard. Bike Week was hailed as a tremendous success. The school had an amazing day which was enhanced weather wise and the roads around Union Hall were nice and quiet. Kilcoe NS Bike Workshop with Cycle Sense Kilcoe NS hosted a Bike Workshop with Cyclesense on Thursday 18 th June as part of Cork Bike Week The aim which was achieved was to teach the skills needed to cycle safe on today s roads, to learn general bike skills and understand and acknowledge the road safety rules which were illustrated by the local Garda. Some of the topics described on the day included: checks before cycling(clothes, helmet, bike) starting/stopping, games and skills, signalling, cornering, positioning, left and right turns, signs, parked vehicles and looking behind. The HSE also organised a speaker to come and visit the school to talk about the health benefits of cycling which was very beneficial. In addition, the school organised a nature cycle down to the Roaring Water Pier. Parents were asked to volunteer and help teachers. On arrival at the pier everyone was treated to a picnic and soon after everyone cycled back to school to finish off a great day.

25 UCC Lunchtime Secret Cycle In its second year, this is a lunchtime cycle on some quieter roads and off road cycle tracks and routes on the western side of the city. Similar to last year, there were some 20 participants. The Secret Cycle set off from the Honan Centre at UCC heading towards Bishopstown but using the quieter and less trafficked roads e.g. Farranlea Road and then through the grounds of CUH. Having cycled through some residential estates the group then crossed Curraheen Road to join the Greenway that skirts around Wilton and Glasheen, along the riverside. The return journey was along the Glasheen Road and College Road and back to UCC. One of the aims of this cycle is to introduce people to quieter routes that they might not be familiar with on their route to UCC or the City Centre. It is always surprising that participants are not aware of these routes but are delighted to discover alternatives that are not heavily trafficked. An Óige Thursday night leisure cycles For the An Óige Thursday Evening Cycles, there was an extensive choice with one cycle leaving from Douglas and the other three from Cork Opera House on Emmet Place. One cycle, led by Martin Hughes, left at 6.30 from Douglas on back roads to Roberts Cove where four hardy cyclists had a swim in cool water! There were 21 cyclists in all and covered 54 kms. Three cycles left from the Opera House. The long cycle had 13 people on it and they headed west and cycled out around Berrings. The leader was Leonard Godsil. And the distance covered was 48kms. The medium cycle led by Helen Fagan had 11 people on it and they cycled around Raffeen, Monkstown, and Passage West, covering a distance of 30 kms. The short cycle with leader Kevin Lynch had 7 people and they went to Rochestown.

26 Friday 19th June St Joseph s NS, Dromore St Joseph s, Dromore, Bantry organised a day of Cycle skills on the 19th June as part of Cork Bike Week 2015.Cycle sense came into St Joseph s and took the 2nd to 6th classes to teach them cycle control skills combined with fun games. The school yard was full of activity, cycle courses and games. Lisavaird NS Bike Workshop Lisavaird NS organised a Bike Workshop to promote cycling in the school as part of Cork Bike Week With help from the Gardai and Carbery Rangers Gaa various practical demonstrations and speeches from guest speakers were given to the 70 pupils of the school. The children were thrilled with the activities and many have grown fonder of cycling. Valley Wheelers Cycling Club Family Cycle To increase participation in cycling in the area for children and adults Valley Wheelers Cycling Club organised two family cycles of 10km and 20km on Friday 12 th June. This event created an opportunity for new and experienced cyclists to cycle in a safe environment and to encourage those to join a club and partake in future cycling events. At 6pm school children and parents headed off or either a 10km or 20km cycle from Ballingeary to Inchigeelagh. The event emphasised safety, fun and comfortability in ability. Refreshments were provided at Inchigeelagh in a picnic style. There was help from the Gardai, Scoil Fhionnbarra and Community members in what proved to be a great day for all. Gaelscoil Mhachan Bling Your Bike To help promote cycling and as part of Cork Bike Week, Gaelscoil Mhachan organised a Bling your Bike competition day on Friday 19 th June. Children were encouraged to cycle to school and to Bling their Bikes. This much anticipated event saw some great bike designs and ideas. The pupils paraded around the school yard displaying their newly created bikes with pride. Prizes were given to the best and most creative bike. The school also had a visit by the Community Garda who brought a bicycle and demonstrated cycle safety and gave a lesson about the rules of the road.

27 Cycle Art Exhibition St John s Central College With the aim of promoting Cork as a bike friendly city, St John s Central College hosted an illustrative art exhibition on this theme on Friday 19 th and Saturday 20 th June. With the support of the Cork City Council they exhibited their work in the Unitarian Church on Princes St. Large scale prints, combining illustration and photography were displayed to promote cycling in Cork City as an efficient, easy, healthy, eco-friendly alternative mode of getting around. As well as the art exhibition, there was also the launch of 2 no. Road Safety videos, promoting awareness of cyclists by both motorists and pedestrians. The central message for cyclists, motorists and pedestrians is be aware, take care. This venture was also developed by a group of students from St John s College, supported by Cork City Council.

28 Sunday 21 st June Tour de Romance The Tour de Romance (aka the Singles and Mingles Cycle) was held on Sunday afternoon this year and proved just as popular as the evening time event launched in Boxes of bling and flowers were provided for the thirty five cyclists to decorate each others bikes and were a great idea to break the ice before setting off on the treasure hunt for Love Tokens. Several people used the Coke Zero Bikes as there is a convenient docking station outside City Hall which was our meeting point. Dressing up a Coke Zero Bike Some of the cyclists before heading off Following the clues of the rhyming riddles, the cycle left City Hall and headed toward Old Blackrock Road to find the first token. From there it was off down Monahan Road where traffic was very quiet and then along the Atlantic Pond and the Old Railway Line following the treasure hunt along the way to Blackrock Village. Deciphering the clues, the search for tokens got quite competitive at times! Finding a token entitled the bearer to a drink at the pub after the cycle. Searching for Love Tokens in the bushes... From Blackrock Village it was back along the Marina and into town to The Flying Enterprise for board games, playing cards and a well earned barbeque. Feedback was great with lots of people suggesting it be a more regular event.

29 Family Fun Cycle Bandon Cycling Club Bandon Cycling Club organised a family fun cycle for the local community on the last day of Cork Bike Week The club set up advertising along the perimeter of the town to attract as many people as possible as they ran two separate events: 1: Family Fun Cycle - 11Km 2: Sprocket rocket, bike handling skills, teaching children to use their helmets, how to brake correctly, travelling through cones. This event went superbly, there was a great attendance for the weekend. There was a Garda car leading the group out plus a civil defence ambulance bringing up the rear. Everyone really enjoyed the cycle and the feedback was very positive. Each year Bandon CC see the same faces coming back but this year a lot of new people attended and they loved the ideas behind the event. 6. Marketing 6.1 Website All Cork Events were promoted through the National Bike Week website and through the Cork Bike Week website Google Analytics Summary: The Cork website provided local event coordinators with easy access to a Cork only dedicated events site. This website was housed within the current Cork Sports Partnership website and included a number of different segments and easy to navigate user interface. Feedback received from local level indicated that this proved quite successful since the inception of the Cork website in The site had 870 unique page views from 1 st May until 21 st July During this time, Cork Bike Week pages were viewed 1,885 times.

30 6.2 Social Media In addition to the websites, the marketing and awareness of Bike Week was increased through the Cork Bike Week social media platforms, namely; Facebook and Twitter. Each annual campaign will aim to utilise these platforms going forward and link in with the National Promotional campaign Facebook: The organic reach and number of Cork Bike Week Facebook page has increased steadily during the National Bike Week campaign Reach of posts pre Bike Week exceeded 1,000 on a number of occasions, while during event engagement also increased during The page currently has 363 Likes, up from 192 Likes post event This platform will be used going forward to ensure that all Cork Bike Week activity is highlighted and promoted to the appropriate audience. In addition to the specific Cork Bike Week Page, all partner organisations and local event coordinators were responsible for highlighting their own events on their own Facebook pages Twitter: The Cork Bike Week twitter page has proved a great way of informing people about the events throughout the week. Retweets by followers has expanded the outreach of the Bike Week posts. The twitter page has currently 75 followers, up on last year. The plan is to continue to grow followers and reach of this account with a view of creating a greater impact in The Operation Transportation twitter page also grew and gained 16 new followers.

31 6.3 Partner Promotion: All partner organisations and event organisers were requested to support the promotional campaign for National Bike Week events. Local event organisers in conjunction with the steering committee jointly promoted all local events through all online communications and local networks of contacts. This resulted in more awareness and participation in the cycling activities taking place for Bike Week in Cork Cork Bike Week Steering Committee 2015: Cork City Council Cork County Council Cork Sports Partnership Cork Environmental Forum HSE South, Health Promotion Department An Taisce UCC

32 6.3.2 Clubs, Groups and Organisations involved in Cork Bike Week 2015 Local Clubs, Groups and Organisations involved in Cork Bike Week 2015 Bandon Cycling Club Valley Wheelers Cycling Club Ballydehob and Skibbereen Cycling Club Cork County Cycling Club Cycling Clubs: West Cork Cycling Crew Groups / Organisations: Cork Cycling Campaign Cycle Sense An Oige Bike N Beara St John s Central College Schools: Timoleague NS Baltydaniel NS Scoil Barra Naofa,Monkstown Dromleigh NS Union Hall NS Kilcoe NS Leap NS Lisheen NS St Patricks Skibbereen St Marys PS Rosscarbery Desertserges NS Holy Family Sch, Charleville Rylane NS Coachford NS Lisavaird NS Clondrohid NS Cope Foundation, Mallow

33 Scoil Naomh Fionan St Josephs, Dromore Scoil Íosagain, Aghada Midleton Educate Together School Scoil Padre Pio, Churchfield Scoil Mhuire Fatima Gaelscoil Mhachan Glasheen GNS Scoil Barra Naofa Cailini 6.4 Promotional Material: A number of flyers were produced to help promote Cork Bike Week These included the following: Cork Bike Week Brochure with all events:

34 Passage West to Blackrock Castle Family Fun Cycle, Mystery History Cycle, Bike Buddies, Lunchtime cycle to Fitzgerald s Park, Cycle Art Exhibition, Tour de Romance Picnic in the Park & Tour De Romance A number of local events developed their own specific flyers for distribution through the local networks and online.

35 Printed adverts in Whazon and Cork Independent 7. Feedback: Overall feedback received about Cork Bike Week 2015 has been overwhelmingly positive. The influx of new events and initiatives has added to the overall Bike Week experience in Cork. As awareness of National Bike Week continues to grow both from a national perspective and local perspective, the interest in Bike Week will continue to grow. The better utilisation of the digital marketing sphere will help local event and steering committee coordinators create awareness of Bike Week and on-going cycling initiatives and opportunities. 7.1 Schools Feedback Schools completed Event Report forms to highlight how their Bike Week events went. More schools applied to the Cork Sports Partnership to organise events at local level in Most schools involved in Cork Bike Week 2015 are committed to yearlong transportation and health and physical Activity programmes and initiatives including: Cork Safer Cycling Programme, Active Schools, Health promotion Schools, Smarter Travel programmes, green Schools etc. 7.2 Clubs & Organisations All clubs and organisations completed an Event Report form for each event organised for Cork Bike Week General Feedback was positive from all clubs and organisations Bike Week gave them the opportunity to create additional awareness of the cycling opportunities that they are providing.