Amy’s Care, Keswick, has been awarded funding for Trishaw’s as part of Carling’s Made Local initiative
Local family community company, Amy’s Care, have been awarded funding to train and recruit volunteers to pilot their new trishaws as part of Carling’s ‘Made Local’ campaign. The initiative sees Great Britain’s number one lager brand fund a range of local community projects across the UK.
Based in Keswick, on the edge of the Lake District National Park, Amy’s Care specialises in providing day care for older adults, particularly for those living with dementia. This year they have purchased two trishaws to help the elderly, despite their limited mobility, get back on a bike, out in the open air and in the countryside.
Gilli Goodfellow, project coordinator, explains; “The funding is supporting us to recruit and train 10 volunteer pilots for our trishaw project. They will learn how to handle the trishaws with First Aid and Health and Safety training so they can take our participants out for rides’. It’s estimated that in the first 6 months of operation over 500 people will directly or indirectly benefit.”
Founder Fraser Dooley says of the programme; “Everyone benefits! Older people and those with mobility restrictions get to experience the joy and freedom of cycling in the outdoors, our pilots get fit through pedalling and the community benefits from a low-cost sustainable form of transport. It puts a smile on everyone’s face!”
Research from Age UK proves that older adults, especially those with restricted mobility, benefit from engaging actively with the outdoor environment, which improves mental health, social cohesion and community connection. Passengers and pilots alike will benefit from increased community involvement and greater public awareness. Evidence also suggests that for people with dementia benefit from being outside and there is a modest benefit in improving both cognitive and non cognitive symptoms of dementia.
To discover more about Amy’s Care and see how you can get involved, visit https://www.amys-care.co.uk/
To find out more about Carling’s Made Local initiative, visit www.carling.com/made-local
