A scheme which will provide cycling opportunities for older people and those with mobility issues has been extended to Skerries.

Fingal County Council expanded the Cycling Without Age to its third location.

Cycling Without Age is a movement that started in Denmark in 2012 by Ole Kassow. Ole wanted to help the elders get back on their bicycles, but he had to find a solution to their limited mobility. The answer was a trishaw and he started offering free bike rides to the local nursing home residents. In 2021 Fingal County Council took delivery of their first trishaw bikes and began working to provide cycling experiences across the county.

Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, AnnMarie Farrelly said: "Our Active Travel unit is delivering a network of cycling and walking routes connecting Fingal's towns and villages. It is very important to us as an organisation that this work is inclusive and that anyone who wants to cycle, or walk can access the supports they need to do so. Cycling Without Age is focused on inclusivity and fun. The project welcomes those with mobility issues to enjoy the feeling of great freedom that you experience when you're cycling in the great outdoors."

-- Advertisement --

Welcoming the expansion, Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Howard Mahony added: "Cycling Without Age is now live in four Fingal locations at St Catherine's Park Lucan, in Skerries, in Santry and in Baldoyle which launched earlier this week. The project is proving very popular, and I am delighted to see so many volunteers coming forward to give back to their communities by becoming bike pilots. This project is not only providing positive cycling experiences for those who might otherwise miss out, it is also strengthening the connections between the older and younger people in our communities."

Cycling Without Age is a free of charge experience which can be booked by anyone with a mobility issue or by older people who no longer feel confident to cycle independently.