Cyling Without Aging, Yeppoon

Seeing trishaws ferrying the elderly and those with mobility issues around their home city of Copenhagen inspired Mary O’Donnell of Yeppoon to bring this amazing service to Yeppoon. This world-wide organisation, Cycling Without Age, is in 42 countries and provides the opportunity for seniors and the mobility challenged to connect with volunteer riders and others while they enjoy a free trishaw ride in their local area.  Through this unique program volunteers give of their time to connect meaningfully with seniors in the community and listen to their unique, and often untold, life stories.  It also provides the opportunity to reach out to others, help counteract loneliness and isolation and make new friendships. These connections can bring great joy to the volunteers as well as to the passengers, taking time to slow down, enjoy intergenerational company, and share in the beauty of the outdoors together.  

This is now about to happen in Yeppoon.  In early October, Cycling Without Age Yeppoon will be launched.  Volunteers have been trained, safe routes along our beautiful foreshore have been accessed and trialed, procedures for the COVID safe ride are now in place. 

The response from the wider community to this venture has been amazing.  Requests for help have been met with so much enthusiasm.  The generous help from the people of the coast are so numerous and some special mentions must be made.  Vinnies and the Iwasaki Foundation helped get this venture on wheels and rolling.  Vinnies, Yeppoon, supported by the Regional and Diocesan Councils loved this unique approach to spreading kindness and provided backing for a grant application to the Iwasaki Foundation.  The grant was successful with the Iwasaki Foundation generously financing two bikes. Members of the local Vinnies conference have continued to support the project wherever needed, along with the dedicated foundation committee, CWA Yeppoon.  Special mention must also be made of the PCYC which has provided, free of charge, safe storage for the bikes on their facility near Lammermoor Beach.  

The opportunity to contribute to ‘pay it forward’ coffee for seniors at coffee shops along the way, is planned, with plenty of support from local businesses and from the Livingstone Shire Council.

We look forward to the ‘Covid compliant’ launch of our first trishaw on October 11^th, with a second arriving before the end of the year.