- We started with a presentation from Paula Blake from the charity Ambition, Aspire, Achieve which helps young people from the Arc in the Park in Hermit Road Park. They are funded for, and gearing up to run, a cycle club on Saturdays aimed especially at those with disabilities. They are looking for cycle-interested volunteers to help their employed sessional workers. No special cycling qualifications are needed. This sounded an interesting and worthwhile project and on initial soundings it looked like it might be possible to get a rota of interested helpers from Newham Cyclists.
If you would be interested in joining such a rota please let me know and I can provide more details.
This charity also has places on the Ride 100 available. Again, if you are interested please contact me.
- There was a report back from those who went on the Greenway inspection ride with the sustainable Transport Office from newham council on 24 February. This was a worthwhile exercise. It seems some gates will be removed as lighting and CCTV is installed and 24 hour opening is likely to come to the stretch between Upper St and Stratford High St. Work on a ramp providing a link to the Channelsea Path (and Stratford Town Centre) has started. Some remedial work was identified as were instances of bad planning of the works (e.g. gates being painted which were about to be removed) It does not look like the section of the Greenway between the Stratford High St and the View Tube will be open until at least 2020.
Problems to look out for: vents set in the path which are awkward for bikes, misaligned “cycle tiles”, school parking at Brampton Manor (which also blocks ambulance access to Newham Hospital!), chicanes and 24 hour opening along the whole length.
- We discussed the draft plans for Maryland Crossrail “improvements” which were very poor and if anything made the area worse for cyclists. Various suggestions immediately emerged to provide benefits from cyclists. Olawale will gather these and make an alternative plan which can be put to interested Councillors. Please look at the plan and send in your suggested improvements in order to help compile an alternative, more cycle friendly proposal.
- There has been a cabinet reshuffle in Newham which has seen anti-cycling Councillor Corbett no longer responsible for transport infrastructure. We decided to approach the new Cabinet member responsible for cycling.
- We decided to examine the possibility of holding our annual meeting at the (re-opening) View Tube.
- The grant application for the monthly market stall in Forest Gate has been made but may take a few weeks to process. In the meantime we decided to run a pilot a session on 11 March.
- We are compiling a list of marshals for the big Bike from Boleyn Ride on 22 April. If you can help please let me know.
- Westfield Bike user Group are holding an event on 2 June – details are still to be confirmed, but we have been asked if we would like to take part in some way.
- The transition to the new website is progressing.
- Some of our members are taking part in Spin for SmartWorks this week – raising money for SmartWorks by cycling 500 miles.
- Also aiming to cycle 500 miles is the Leading Our Lives youth group. They are looking for some cyclists to come along on Good Friday (14th April) to Redbridge Cycling Centre to help them clock up the miles. Please contact Kerena for details if you’d like to help out and be able to feel righteous about all the Easter Eggs you eat on Sunday!
Arnold